Mohanlal Viswanathan is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. Mohanlal's contributions to the Malayalam cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN-News18.
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil language films. He has also appeared in Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English-language productions. In a career spanning five decades, he has appeared in more than 410 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, nine Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. For his contribution to film, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1998. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala.
Kavya Madhavan is a former Indian actress, who appeared predominantly in Malayalam films. She made her debut in 1991 as a child artist in Pookkalam Varavayi. Her debut role as one of the lead actresses was in Lal Jose's Chandranudikkunna Dikhil in 1999, when she was in the ninth grade. Its success established her status as one of the leading actress in the Malayalam industry during the 2000s. She has acted in over 75 movies. She has won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress twice, for her performances in Perumazhakkalam (2004) and Khaddama (2010).
Navya Nair is an Indian actress who has appeared predominantly in Malayalam cinema along with a few Kannada and Tamil language films.
Jasmine Mary Joseph, known professionally as Meera Jasmine, is an Indian actress who appears primarily in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. Meera made her debut in 2001 with the Lohithadas film Soothradharan. She went on to star in various commercial and critically successful films in south Indian languages making her one of the most bankable and noteworthy actresses of the 2000s.
Karthika Menon, better known by her stage name Bhavana, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Kannada language films in addition to Tamil and Telugu films. She is the recipient of two Kerala State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.
Manju Warrier is an Indian actress, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema.
Mamta Mohandas is an Indian actress, film producer and a playback singer who predominantly works in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. She has won several accolades including two Filmfare Awards South for Best Female Playback Singer in Telugu in 2006 and for Best Actress in Malayalam in 2010 and also Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress in 2010. She has launched her own film production company under the banner Mamta Mohandas Productions.
Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, better known by his stage name Dileep, is an Indian actor, producer, and businessman who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has acted in more than 150 films and has won several awards, including four Kerala State Film Awards and one Filmfare Awards South.
Keezhoote Balakrishna Ganesh Kumar is an Indian actor, television host, and politician. He is currently serving as the Minister of Transport, Government of Kerala from December 2023 in the Second Pinarayi Ministry and he is also the current MLA of KC(B) representing the Pathanapuram constituency in Kollam, Kerala. He made his debut as an actor in the film Irakal (1985) directed by K. G. George. He has starred in over 100 Malayalam films, performing a variety of roles.
Ee Puzhayum Kadannu is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film directed by Kamal and starring Dileep and Manju Warrier. The film was a success at the box office. The film was remade in Telugu as Pelli Peetalu (1998), in Tamil as Kanna Unnai Thedukiren (2001) and in Kannada as Sambhrama (1999).
Rafi and Mecartin are a screenwriter and director duo best known for comedy films in Malayalam cinema. Raffi's younger brother Shafi is also a well-known film director. Raffi is also the nephew of director Siddique from the Siddique–Lal duo. He has scripted and directed successful films such as Puthukkottayile Puthumanavalan (1995), Superman (1997), Punjabi House (1998), Thenkasipattanam (2000), Chathikkatha Chanthu (2004), Pandippada (2005), and Hallo (2007). The duo has also written the scripts for Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava (1995), Aadyathe Kanmani (1995), Dilliwala Rajakumaran (1996), Kusruthi Kuruppu (1998), One Man Show (2001), Thilakkam (2003), and Mayavi (2007) among others, for other directors.
Ranjith Sankar is an Indian Filmmaker who works in Malayalam films. He started his movie career with the 2009 thriller film Passenger. He launched his production house Dreams N Beyond in 2012 and his distribution house Punyalan Cinemas in 2017.
Sruthi Jose, better known by her screen name Sruthi Lakshmi, is an Indian actress acting mainly in Malayalam films and television serials. She is also a trained classical dancer. She received a Kerala state television award for best actress in 2016 for teleserial Pokkuveyil.
Namitha Pramod is an Indian actress who appears mainly in Malayalam films. She made her acting debut, as a child artist, in the Malayalam film Traffic (2011) and appeared in her first lead role in PuthiyaTheerangal, which was released in 2012.
Jeethu Joseph is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. He has also worked in a few Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. Jeethu made his directional debut with the 2007 police procedural, Detective. He is best known for creating the Drishyam franchise. Drishyam became the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever, at its time of release. It was the first Malayalam film to cross the ₹50 crore mark, at the box office. Drishyam 2 was released directly through Amazon Prime Video, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the prequel, it was highly acclaimed and appreciated, worldwide.
Keerthy Suresh is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. A recipient of various accolades including a National Film Award, three SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South, Keerthy was placed in Forbes India's 30 Under 30 list of 2021.
Villali Veeran is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film produced by Super Good Films under the banner of Remya Release and directed by Sudheesh Shanker. The film stars Dileep in the lead role along with Siddique, Namitha Pramod, Suresh Krishna, Kalabhavan Shajon and Dharmajan Bolgatty in supporting roles. The film was initially titled Bhuddhettan.
Anu Sithara is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Malayalam films. She has also appeared in some Tamil films. She made her debut in 2013 as a child artist Pottas Bomb in 2013. Anu is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer and well known for her stage shows.
Vasanthathinte Kanal Vazhikalil is a 2014 Malayalam-language political drama film directed by Anil V Nagendran, who is also the producer, writer and lyricist. The film stars Samuthirakani and Tamil actress Thamarai in the lead roles with an ensemble supporting cast of Mukesh, Sudheesh, Surabhi, Rithesh, and Baiju VK.
