Kunchacko Boban | |
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Born | 2 November 1976 (Age 47) [1] |
Other names | Chackochan [2] |
Alma mater | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1981 (child artist); 1997–present |
Works | Full list |
Spouse | Priya Ann Samuel (m. 2005) |
Children | 1 |
Relatives |
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Family | See Kunchacko family |
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. [3] He is referred to as Chackochan, and during early 2000's, he was called "chocolate boy", because of his romeo roles. [4] [5] He works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 100 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the Kunchacko family. [6] Kunchacko's debut was as a child in the film Dhanya (1981) produced by his father Boban Kunchacko. [7] [8]
He debuted as an adult leading role in Fazil's 1997 romantic drama Aniyathipraavu opposite Shalini, which became the highest-grossing Malayalam film till then, establishing him as a bankable actor overnight. [9] [10] [11] He appeared in a brief role in Harikrishnans (1998) starring Mohanlal and Mammootty, which was the top Malayalam box office grosser of the year. Kunchacko and Shalini joined again in successful romantic films Nakshatratharattu (1998) and Niram (1999) and Prem Poojari (1999). [12] Niram (2000) was one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year. By then he had created a "romantic hero" image in Malayalam cinema, nevertheless, he also had success in other genres, as a villager in the comedy Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka (2001) and as a son to a debt-ridden family in Kasthooriman (2003). His career took a setback after few box office failures during the mid-2000s. He took a break from films in 2006 and moved on to business.
He came back in 2009 with the comedy Gulumal: The Escape , a commercial success. [13] After his comeback, Kunchacko completely changed his chocolate boy and romantic hero image and he proved his versatility as an actor by doing various different roles. [14] In the comeback, he raised his stardom with commercially successful films and reestablished himself as one of the popular lead actors of Mollywood. [15] His roles in critically and commercially acclaimed films like Traffic (2011), How Old Are You? (2014), Take off (2017), Vettah (2016), Virus (2019), Anjaam Pathiraa (2020), Nayattu (2021), Pada (2022) and Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022) was widely appreciated. He is also known for his dancing skills. [16]
In 2016, Kunchacko produced the comedy drama film Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho through Udaya Studios, in the process of reviving the studio after a 30-year hiatus. [17]
Kunchacko Boban has announced the movie 'Ariyippu' under the banner of Udaya Studios at the occasion of his Silver Jubilee celebration as hero and Platinum Jubilee celebration of Udaya Pictures. He also launched another production house, Kunchacko Boban Productions, debuting with the movie Ariyippu.
Kunchacko Boban (also known as Chackochan) was born in a Syro Malabar Catholic family in Alappuzha, Kerala. He hails from the Maliampurakal family, which is credited with owning the first film studio in Kerala, Udaya Studios, [18] considered the ancestral home of the Malayalam film industry. His great-grandfather, M. M. Chacko, started the first boat service in Kuttanadu.
He was named after his grandfather who is the legendary film producer Kunchacko, who established Udaya Studios. He is the grandnephew of Navodaya Appachan of Navodaya Studios. His father Boban is the cousin of Jijo Punnose, also a film director. [18]
His father, Boban Kunchacko, was also an actor, director, and producer who was part of a few films produced by Udaya. Kunchacko's mother Molly is a housewife and he has two younger sisters, Anu and Minu. [18] He completed his pre-degree in SB College Changanacherry in 1996
He graduated with first-class in B.Com from Sanatana Dharma College in 1997. [19] Being a sports enthusiast, he plays various games like cricket, table tennis, basketball and badminton, with badminton being the one he is best at. He trained in Bharatanatyam in his childhood. [20]
Kunchacko Boban married his fan-turned long-term sweetheart, Priya Ann Samuel, on April 2, 2005, at Little Flower Syro Malabar Catholic Church, Ernakulam. [21] [22] They became parents to Izahaak Boban Kunchacko, on April 16, 2019. [23] [24] His son's baptism took place on 30 June 2019 and the event was attended by prominent personalities of the Malayalam film industry. [25]
Kunchacko Boban was introduced into the Malayalam film industry by versatile director Fazil. His debut film, Aniathipravu (1997), co-starring Shalini, and directed by Fazil, [26] turned out to be the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever and Kunchacko Boban's performance as Sudhi, the lead character was well received by young audiences and families. The Kunchacko Boban - Shalini pair was considered one of the best star pairs of the Malayalam film industry.| [27]
Following the success of Aniathipravu, Kunchacko Boban was cast in hit films such as Nakshathrathaarattu (1998), Mayilpeelikkavu (1998) and Niram (1999), which was among 1999's highest-grossing Malayalam films and songs of "Niram" are still very popular.[ citation needed ] The actor reunited with his debut film's director Fazil in Harikrishnans , where he played a cameo, which marked the reunion of Mohanlal and Mammootty after nine years and it was the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year.| [28] Then he appeared in commercially successful films such as Priyam (2000), Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (2000), Dosth (2001), Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka (2001) and Kalyanaraman (2002).
In 2005, after his marriage, he took a break from films.
Kunchacko Boban returned to films in 2008 with a special appearance in a song in Twenty:20 and later acted in Shafi's LollyPop . His real comeback was in 2009 with comedy film Gulumal: The Escape , directed by popular ad filmmaker and director V. K. Prakash. Gulumal was followed by a string of successful films which established him as one of the most successful actors of the last decade and he made a complete makeover of his screen image in his comeback.
In 2010 he played the lead role in the films such as Jeethu Joseph's Mummy & Me , Sakudumbam Shyamala and Lal Jose's Elsamma Enna Aankutty , all of which were commercial successes and reviewers praised Kunchacko Boban for his performance in Elsamma Enna Aankutty. [29]
In 2011, he played the central character in the road thriller film Traffic . The film's success and wide critical acclaim ushered in a trend that followed in Malayalam cinema, dubbed the New generation movies. This was followed by another film Seniors where for the first time he took on a negative role playing a criminal, which was commercial success at the box office [30] and he won SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role - Malayalam. In the same year he acted again in films like Three Kings , Sevens and Doctor Love . [31] He also won the Youth Icon award at Asianet Film Awards.
In 2012, he was featured in three films, Lal Jose's Spanish Masala , Ordinary and Mallu Singh . In Spanish Masala he played a full-length negative role which had Dileep as main lead. Ordinary had a high opening at the Kerala box office and had 10,000 showings in theatres before reaching the 50-day mark. [32] Mallu Singh is credited as 50th film of Kunchacko Boban. [33] Ordinary and Mallu Singh both films became major commercial success at the box office. [34]
His started 2013 with comedy thriller Romans , which was a blockbuster at the box office and later, 3 Dots , God for Sale: Bhakthi Prasthanam , [35] Kadhaveedu , Vishudhan , and Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum , a commercial success. [36]
Kunchacko Boban also gained critical acclaim for his performance, in films such as God for Sale: Bhakthi Prasthanam (2013), Vishudhan (2013), Kadhaveedu (2013), How Old Are You (2014), Madhura Naranga (2015), Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal (2015) and Vettah (2016).
He was also a part of Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal , directed by Dr. Biju, was an eye-opener on how the use of endosulfan affected Northern Kerala villages. [37] The film was screened at the United Nations and was also selected for many world-famous film festivals including the Toronto Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, and International Film Festival of India. Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal earned the national award for Best Film made on environmental preservation. [38]
In 2016, Kunchacko revamped Udaya Pictures, the iconic Malayalam production house. Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho marked his debut as a producer under this new film outfit.
The year 2017 saw three films, Take Off , Ramante Eden Thottam and Varnyathil Aashanka , earned him numerous accolades as a mature and versatile actor. [39] Take Off was produced in memory of the late director Rajesh Pillai and earned several awards in State, National and International competitions. [40] [41] The characters of these films earned him the Family Hero award at the Vanitha Film Awards and Best Actor critics award at the Asianet Film Awards. [42] The film also happened to release on the 20th anniversary of his film debut Aniyathipravu .
He began 2018 with back-to-back successful films, Shikkari Shambhu , Kuttanadan Marpappa and Panchavarnathatha . [43] His next two releases were Mangalyam Thanthunanena and Johny Johny Yes Appa . His final release of the year was Lal Jose's Thattumpurath Achuthan . [44]
His releases of 2019 were comedy-thriller Allu Ramendran and a medical thriller Virus . Allu Ramendran met with a positive response and was a commercial success. Virus received critical acclaim and was a major box office success of 2019. His performance in both films was highly praised. His first release of 2020 was crime thriller Anjaam Pathiraa , in which he played the central character, Anwar Hussain. The film received highly positive reviews and becomes the first blockbuster film of 2020 in Malayalam Film Industry. The film considered the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year grossed ₹50 crores worldwide [45] and also the highest TRP rated Malayalam film of the year across all channels as well as Surya Tv's all-time biggest TRP rated film ever.
He started 2021 with three movies. Nayattu , [46] which was released in theatres on 8 April, was critically acclaimed for showing the truth of the political circus. The movie was later released on Netflix. [47] The other two, Nizhal [48] and Mohan Kumar Fans , were released on OTT platforms.'Mohan Kumar Fans' was praised for their effective blend of satire and emotional drama. [49] He ended 2021 with Bheemante Vazhi , which saw a theatre release on December 3, 2021. [50] After four weeks of theatrical run, the film was released in Amazon Prime Video on 30 December 2021. [51] [52]
He started 2022 with political social-thriller film Pada and starred in Ariyippu and Nna Thaan Case Kodu later that year. All three films opened to highly positive reviews. [53] [54] [55] Kunchako was a part of the multistarrer 2018 (2023) based on the 2018 Kerala floods. [56]
Besides films and business, Kunchacko support social causes. In 2014 Kunchacko Boban, launched Celebrity Cricket Club (C3). He is the chairman of the organisation C3, and a group of celebrities came together to pledge their time and effort for charity initiative. The club stands for cricket, charity and comradeship. [57]
In 2015, he opened Al Fasht Medical Centre in Sharjah, a medical centre providing comparatively low-cost health care for child behaviour, autism, and adult psychiatry. [58] [59] [60]
Year | Title | Role | Channel | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Nayika Nayakan | Mentor | Mazhavil Manorama | Reality Show | [61] |
2019 | Mazhavil Entertainment Awards | Host | Mazhavil Manorama | Award Show | |
2020 | Star Magic | Himself on Onam Celebration | Flowers TV | Special Guest | |
2020 | Changanu Chackochan | Himself on Christmas Celebration | Asianet | Special Show | [62] |
2021 | Funs Upon a Time | Judge | Amrita TV | Reality show | |
2021 | E-Classil Njanumund | Host | Amrita TV | Happiness Challenge: Social service show | |
2021 | Anjinodu Injodinju | Contestant | Surya TV | Game show | |
2023 | Dancing stars | Grand finale judge | Asianet | reality show | |
2023 | Pullipulikalum Chackochanum | Himself on Onam Celebration | Flowers TV | Special Guest |
Year | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Best Actor | Nna Thaan Case Kodu | Nominated | ||
Special Jury Mention (Acting) | Won | ||||
2004 | Special Jury Mention (Acting) | Ee Snehatheerathu | Won | ||
Locarno Film Festival | 2022 | Best Actor | Ariyippu | Nominated | |
Best Film | Nominated | ||||
South Indian International Movie Awards | 2012 | Best Actor in a Negative Role (Malayalam) | Seniors | Won | |
2020 | Best Actor (Malayalam) | Anjaam Pathiraa | Nominated | [63] | |
Best Actor Critics (Malayalam) | Won | [64] | |||
2022 | Best Actor (Malayalam) | Nna Thaan Case Kodu | Nominated | ||
Best Actor Critics (Malayalam) | Won | ||||
Filmfare Awards | 2010 | Best Actor – Malayalam | Elsamma Enna Aankutty | Nominated | |
2018 | Best Supporting Actor - Malayalam | Take Off | Nominated | ||
2022 | Best Actor - Malayalam | Anjaam Pathiraa | Nominated | ||
2023 | Best Actor – Malayalam | Nna Thaan Case Kodu | Won | ||
2023 | Best Movie – Malayalam | Nna Thaan Case Kodu | Won | ||
2023 | Best Movie (Critics) – Malayalam | Ariyippu | Won | ||
Kerala Film Critics Association Awards | 2022 | Best Actor | Nna Thaan Case Kodu , Ariyippu and Pada | Won | |
J. C. Daniel Award | 2022 | Best Actor | Nna Thaan Case Kodu , Ariyippu | Won | |
Asiavision Awards | 2016 | Man of the Year | Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho and Vettah | Won | |
IIFA Utsavam | 2016 | Best Actor in a Negative Role – Malayalam | Chirakodinja Kinavukal | Nominated | |
Asianet Film Awards | 2010 | Best Star Pair | Mummy & Me | Won | [65] |
2011 | Youth Icon of the Year | Various films | Won | ||
2012 | Special Jury Award | Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum and Romans | Won | ||
2014 | Youth Icon of the Year | Various films | Won | ||
2018 | Best Actor critics | Take Off , Ramante Edanthottam and Varnyathil Aashanka | Won | ||
Vanitha Film Awards | 2010 | Best Star Pair | Mummy & Me | Won | |
2018 | Best Family Hero | Take Off and Ramante Edanthottam | Won | [66] | |
2020 | Socially Responsible Actor | Virus | Won | ||
Asianet Comedy Awards | 2017 | Versatile Actor | Various films | Won | [67] |
Jai Hind TV Awards | 2013 | Popular Actor | Various films | Won | |
Kerala Kaumudi Awards | 2010 | Youth Icon | Various films | Won | |
CPC Cine Awards | 2020 | Special Honorary Award | Udaya Studios | Won |
Maliampurackal Chacko Kunchacko was an Indian film producer and director who worked in the Malayalam film industry. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Madras, Tamil Nadu to Kerala. He is the producer of Jeevithanauka (1951), starring Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair.
Niram is a 1999 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Kamal and written inspired by Sathrughnan, a story by Iqbal Kuttippuram. Niram marks the fourth and final collaboration of the leading pair, Kunchacko and Shalini of the late 90s. It was also Shalini's last Malayalam film, before retiring from the industry. The film revolves around the relationship of two teenagers - Aby and Sona (Shalini), who are best friends since childhood and they often hangout together. The film's music was composed by Vidyasagar. Niram was a blockbuster at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year, grossing over ₹5 crore. The film was remade in Telugu as Nuvve Kavali (2000), Tamil as Piriyadha Varam Vendum (2001) with Director Kamal, and actresses Shalini, Jomol and Kovai Sarala reprising their roles, in Kannada as Ninagagi (2002), and in Hindi as Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003). The film was rereleased on 16 September 1999.
Lalu Alex is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam and Tamil Films In a career spanning four decades, Lalu Alex has acted over 250 movies and is known for his character roles, comic roles and antagonistic roles in the Malayalam movie industry.
Race is a 2011 Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Kukku Surendran and starring Indrajith, Kunchacko Boban, Mamta Mohandas, Baby Anikha, and Gowri Munjal. The story is based on Greg Iles's novel 24 hours. The film opened in Kerala theatres on 11 February 2011 to negative reviews. It was dubbed into Telugu as Game by Narne Media Solutions (Pvt) Limited in 2013. It was a remake of the Hindi film Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante.
Udaya Studios was one of the oldest film studios in the Malayalam film industry of India. It was established in 1947 by director-producer Kunchacko (1912–1976) and film distributor K. V. Koshy in Pathirappally, Alappuzha in Kerala. The studio influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Chennai, Tamil Nadu to Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, now considered a milestone in the history of Malayalam film industry. The first film of the studio was Vellinakshatram (1949).
Ebbey Abraham, better known by his stage name Vysakh, is an Indian film director who works in Malayalam films and is known for several commercially successful films like Pokkiri Raja, Seniors, Mallu Singh, Pulimurugan and Madhura raja. He began his career as a television anchor and later as an associate director to Joshiy and Johny Antony. He debuted as an independent director in 2010 with Pokkiri Raja starring Mammootty and Prithviraj Sukumaran. In 2016, his directorial Pulimurugan starring Mohanlal and Jagapathi Babu became the first Malayalam film to gross around ₹100 crore at the box office.
Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film written and directed by Sidhartha Siva. It was produced by Kunchacko Boban, who also stars in the title role, along with Rudraksh Sudheesh. The film marks the return of Udaya Pictures, an early film production company in Malayalam cinema, after 30 years. Anusree played the female lead role. The film was released during the festival of Onam on 9 September 2016.
Alencier Ley Lopez is an Indian film and theatre actor, who appears in Malayalam films. Lopez made his debut in the 1998 film Daya; and he worked in films like Annayum Rasoolum (2013), Njan Steve Lopez (2013), and Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016).
Anjaam Pathiraa is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas. The film stars Kunchacko Boban, Sharaf U Dheen, Sreenath Bhasi, Unnimaya Prasad, Jinu Joseph and Abhiram Radhakrishnan. Sushin Shyam composed the music, while Shyju Khalid was the cinematographer.
Kunchacko Boban is an Indian actor, producer and businessman who works in Malayalam films and has acted in more than 100 films over the period of more than two decades and has received several awards including the Kerala State Film Awards. He started acting at the age of 5 in the Fazil directed drama Dhanya as a child artist in a small role and it was produced by his father Boban Kunchacko. He debuted as an adult leading role in Fazil's 1997 romantic drama Aniyathipravu which became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year, establishing him as a bankable actor in the industry.
Ashiq Usman is an Indian film producer and actor who works in Malayalam films. He also acted in Malayalam films as child artist. He launched Ashiq Usman Productions in 2012, As a producer his debut was Arikil Oraal which starred Indrajith Sukumaran, Remya Nambeesan, and Nivin Pauly. He was the producer of the blockbuster movie Anjaam Pathiraa, starring Kunchacko Boban. He is remaking the Malayalam movie Anjaam Pathiraa in Hindi language in association with Reliance Entertainment. His latest movie to hit theaters is Thallumaala starring Tovino Thomas and directed by Khalid Rahman.
Nayattu (transl. Hunting) is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language drama thriller film directed by Martin Prakkat and written by Shahi Kabir. It was produced by Ranjith and P. M. Sasidharan through Gold Coin Motion Picture Company in association with Martin Prakkat Films. The film stars Kunchako Boban, Joju George, and Nimisha Sajayan, with Jaffar Idukki, Anil Nedumangad, and Hakkim Shajahan in supporting roles. Vishnu Vijay composed the original songs and background score.
Bheemante Vazhi is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Ashraf Hamza and written by Chemban Vinod Jose. It stars Kunchacko Boban and Megha Thomas, with Jose, Jinu Joseph, Naseer Sankranthi, Divya M. Nair and Chinnu Chandni in supporting roles. Vishnu Vijay composed the original songs and background score. Chemban Vinod Jose produced the film under Chembosky Motion Pictures in association with Rima Kallingal-Aashiq Abu's OPM Cinemas. The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.
Pada (transl. Army) is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language political thriller film directed by Kamal K. M. and starring Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, Vinayakan, and Dileesh Pothan. The film is based on a true incident that occurred in 1996 when the then Palakkad collector was held hostage. The film was released on 11 March 2022 and opened to widespread critical acclaim.
Nna Thaan Case Kodu is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language satire film written and directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, produced by Santhosh T. Kuruvilla and co-produced by Kunchacko Boban Productions and Udaya Pictures. The film stars Kunchacko Boban and Gayathrie Shankar. The music was composed by Dawn Vincent. The story revolves around Kozhummal Rajeevan, a reformed thief's fight for justice when an innocent act to defend himself places him in loggerheads with the high and mighty of society.
Ariyippu is a 2022 Indian drama film written and directed by Mahesh Narayanan. The film is produced by Shebin Backer, under the banner of Shebin Backer Productions, Kunchacko Boban under the banner of Kunchacko Boban Productions and Mahesh Narayanan himself under the Moving Narratives banner. It features Kunchacko Boban, Divya Prabha, Danish Husain, Loveleen Mishra, and Faizal Malik in pivotal roles. The film premiered in the Concorso internazionale of the 75th Locarno Film Festival on 4 August 2022, where it was nominated for Golden Leopard. The film had a worldwide release on Netflix on 16 December 2022.
2018 is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language survival thriller film based on the severe 2018 Kerala floods that devastated Kerala in southern India, a catastrophic natural disaster that was the worst flood to hit the region in more than a century. It is directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, who wrote the screenplay with Akhil P. Dharmajan and is produced by Venu Kunnappilly, C.K. Padmakumar, and Anto Joseph under the banner of Kavya Film Company in collaboration with P.K. Prime Production. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain and Lal with an ensemble cast. Set in a fictional village, the plot follows characters from all walks of life as they struggle to deal with the flood.
Pakalum Paathiravum is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language neo-noir action thriller film directed by Ajai Vasudev, starring Kunchacko Boban, Rajisha Vijayan and Guru Somasundaram in lead roles. The film is a remake of the 2018 Kannada film Aa Karaala Ratri. The film had its theatrical release on 3 March 2023. Subsequently, it was made available to stream on ZEE5 on 28 April 2023.
Ashraf Hamza is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Malayalam cinema. Hailing from Ponnani, Malappuram, he debuted with 2019 Malayalam movie Thamaasha. His second directorial feature was Bheemante Vazhi (2021). He was the co-writer of 2022 movie Thallumaala.
The 46th Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, honouring the best Malayalam films released in 2022, were announced in May 2023.