This is an accepted version of this page
Prithviraj Sukumaran | |
|---|---|
 Prithviraj in 2012 | |
| Born | (1982-10-16)16 October 1982 (age 43) Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala, India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Organization | Prithviraj Productions |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Sukumaran (father) Mallika Sukumaran (mother)[1] |
| Family | SeeSukumaran family |
| Awards | Full list |
Prithviraj Sukumaran (/pr̩t̪ʰʋiɾaːd͡ʒ/; born 16 October 1982) is an Indian actor, producer, director, and playback singer who primarily works inMalayalam films.[2] Having appeared in over100 films, Prithviraj is among the highest paid Malayalam actors.[3][4][5] His accolades include aNational Film Award, fourKerala State Film Awards, aTamil Nadu State Film Award and aFilmfare Award South.[6]
Prithviraj made his acting debut with the 2002 filmNandanam.[7] After starring in a few box-office failures, he made a comeback withClassmates (2006),the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year, and became the youngest recipient ofKerala State Film Award for Best Actor forVaasthavam (2006). He then played a musician in the Tamil romantic comedyMozhi (2007) and ventured into playback singing withPuthiya Mukham (2009) before earning his second Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for the medical dramaAyalum Njanum Thammil (2012) and the biographical filmCelluloid (2013).[8]
In 2010, Prithviraj became a producer and joined the production company August Cinema. He co-produced and headlinedUrumi andIndian Rupee (both 2011); the latter won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam andKerala State Film Award for Best Film.[9] He won theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain forKaaviya Thalaivan (2014) and had further success withEnnu Ninte Moideen (2015) andEzra (2017). After leaving August Cinema in 2017, he launched Prithviraj Productions independently that first produced9 (2019). Prithviraj made his directorial debut withLucifer (2019), which became one of thehighest-grossing Malayalam films. He has since achieved critical and commercial success with Malayalam filmsDriving License (2019),Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020),Jana Gana Mana (2022),Kaduva (2022),The Goat Life (2024) andGuruvayoor Ambalanadayil (2024) and the Telugu filmSalaar (2023).[10][11][12][13]
Prithviraj Sukumaran was born on 16 October 1982[14] to the actorsSukumaran andMallika Sukumaran inThiruvananthapuram.[15][16] Prithviraj hails from the well-knownNair family of south Kerala known as Kainikkara, the same family to which the famous Malayali authorsKainikkara Padmanabha Pillai andKainikkara Kumara Pillai belonged.[17] His maternal grandfather, Madhavan Pillai, was also aGandhian and political activist who supported theIndian National Congress.[18] His family was settled in Tamil Nadu at the time, where he attended Shrine Vailankanni School in T. Nagar, Chennai, andSt. Joseph's Boys School,Coonoor.[19]
When his family moved to Kerala, he attended the NSS Public School, Perunthanni.[20] He then moved to St. Mary's Residential Central School, Poojappura, where he acted in plays and skits for the school's annual day celebrations. He completed his education atSainik School, Kazhakootam, andBhavan's Senior Secondary School, Kodunganoor.
After school, he enrolled in a bachelor's degree in Information Technology at the University of Tasmania inAustralia but did not complete it. His highest level of education ishigher secondary (+2) education.[21][22] During this time, he auditioned for film director Ranjith and won the lead role in the filmNandanam.[7] It was film directorFazil who introduced him to Ranjith.[7] His elder brother,Indrajith Sukumaran, and sister-in-law,Poornima Indrajith, are also film actors.
In 2001, Prithviraj underwent a screen-test by director Fazil for one of his projects. Even though that project never materialised, Fazil recommended him to director Ranjith, who was planning his second directorial,Nandanam (2002), Prithviraj underwent screen-test for the role and got selected. ThoughNandanam was the first film that Prithviraj acted in, it was released afterNakshathrakkannulla Rajakumaran Avanundoru Rajakumari andStop Violence. Prithviraj then appeared in films directed byLohithadas,Vinayan,Kamal andBhadran.Shyamaprasad, who cast him as the lead in his filmAkale, said that Prithviraj's advantages are his talent and intelligence irrespective of his box office successes.[23]
_with_a_fan.jpg)
In 2005, Prithviraj Sukumaran debuted inTamil cinema throughKana Kandaen.[24] He starred in Director Santosh Sivan’sAnandabhadram in which he portrayed a character called Anandan who is a young NRI who likes his mother’s native village, a place known for powerful wizards and go through several human emotions.[25] In 2006, Prithviraj co-starred with actorBhagyaraj's daughterSaranya Bhagyaraj inParijatham. It became an acclaimed film.[26]
In 2006, he played the role of Sub Inspector Solomon Joseph inVargam, and then appeared in the filmVaasthavam, for which he received theKerala State Film Award for Best Actor.[27] He was the youngest actor to win the award.[28] The same year he starred inLal Jose'sClassmates. The coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama was one of the biggest hits of his career.[25] In 2007, he starred inChocolate, directed by Shafi.[29] In 2007, Prithviraj co-starred Jyothika inMozhi. He also starred inSatham Podathey andKannamoochi Yenada in the same year.
In 2008, he starred inThalappavu, (directed byMadhupal) andThirakkatha (directed by Ranjith), playing pivotal characters in both. One of the reviews ofThalappavu describes it as the coming-of-age film for prithviraj describing the "spartan dignity" he brought to his portrayal of the Naxalite Joseph.[30] The Sify review ofThirakkatha describes it as a "genuine attempt that keeps the viewer engaged until the end".[31] BothThalappavu andThirakkatha shared the award for the best film in the Film Critics Award for 2008. In 2008, Prithviraj starred inVellithirai, the Tamil remake ofUdayananu Tharam.Rediff described, "Prithviraj ... makes the best of his assets – his expressive eyes, which glint in fury, soften with love, or brim over with frustrated tears."[32]
In 2009, the success of Prithviraj Sukumaran'sPuthiya Mukham (directed byDiphan) was a major turning point in the actor's career and led to him being branded as a superstar.[33][34] His other releases in 2009 wereRobin Hood (directed by Joshy) and theanthology filmKerala Cafe. In 2010, Sukumaran's notable films werePokkiri Raja andAnwar, directed byAmal Neerad. He played the antagonist inMani Ratnam'sRaavanan in 2010 alongside actorVikram who played the main protagonist. His performance was critically acclaimed.[35] In the same year, Prithviraj debuted inTelugu cinema in the filmPolice Police.
In 2011, Prithviraj produced his first film, the multilingualUrumi. His other releases includedCity of God,Manikyakallu,Veettilekkulla Vazhi andIndian Rupee. Critics praised Prithviraj for his performance inIndian Rupee, a critic atNowrunning.com, called it his "careers best performance".[36] In 2012, his releases includedHero,Molly Aunty Rocks! andAyalum Njanum Thammil, along with cameo roles inAakashathinte Niram. He also made a special appearance inAnjali Menon'sManjadikuru.
In that same year, Prithviraj debuted inHindi cinema throughAiyyaa, starring alongsideRani Mukerji.[37]
In 2013, Prithviraj had three releasesCelluloid,Mumbai Police andMemories, all of which were critical and commercial successes. He portrayedJ.C. Daniel inCelluloid, for which he won his secondKerala State Film Award for Best Actor.[8] He also played the role of a police officer inAurangzeb, directed by Athul Sabharwal which was his second project inHindi cinema.[38]
In 2014, Prithviraj's first major release wasLondon Bridge, which was a box office failure; followed by7th Day, which emerged as a commercial success. He also featured in a cameo role inMunnariyippu. His third release of the year,Sapthamashree Thaskaraha was praised by critics. Prithviraj also starred in directorVasanthabalan's period filmKaaviya Thalaivan, co-starringSiddharth.
His first release of 2015 wasPicket 43, followed by other releases such as Shyamaprasad'sIvide. Prithviraj was widely praised for his performance in the film. He next appeared inLijo Jose Pellissery'sDouble Barrel.
His most successful film of that year wasEnnu Ninte Moideen co starringParvathy which narrated the tragic love tale of Kanchanamala and Moideen that happened in the 1960s inMukkam, a riverside village in Kerala. The film opened to critical acclaim, with several critics regarding it as one of the greatest romance films made in Malayalam cinema.[39][40] His role as Moideen is regarded as one of the best in his career.[41] His next releasesAmar Akbar Anthony andAnarkali were major commercial success.
.jpg)
Prithviraj had four releases in 2016, beginning withPaavada, a family drama in which he played a drunkard. It met with a positive response and was a commercial success and ran for 100 days in theatres. His other releasesDarvinte Parinamam andJames & Alice were met with mixed reviews, the former told the story of an ordinary man dealing with a local goon and the latter was a family drama that discussed the matter of life and death. His last release,Oozham, an action thriller directed by Jeethu Joseph was a commercial success. He played a demolition expert.[42] In 2017, he starred in the horror filmEzra, which became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year, grossing₹50 crore worldwide.[43] His other releases that year includedTiyaan,Adam Joan andVimaanam. BothTiyaan andVimaanam were moderate box office hits. He starred in his thirdHindi film,Naam Shabana.[44]
His first release of 2018 was Roshini Dinakar's romantic dramaMy Story, a commercial failure at the box office. His next two releases wereAnjali Menon's dramaKoode andNirmal Sahadev's crime dramaRanam.Koode received critical acclaim and was a commercial success[25] whileRanam was met with positive critical response but performed moderately at the box office. In 2018, Prithviraj launched his independent production house, Prithviraj Productions. In 2019, he produced and starred in the science fiction film9. The film received was a box office success.[45]
Prithviraj made his directorial debut in 2019 with the filmLucifer, starringMohanlal. The film became one of thehighest-grossing Malayalam film.[46] In the following years, he would go onto star in the comedy-dramaDriving License (2019),Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020),Jana Gana Mana (2022),Kaduva (2022) andSalaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire (2023), all of which emerged as box office successes. However,Brother's Day,Kaapa, andGold failed at the box office. In 2024, he acted in the survival drama,Aadujeevitham, directed byBlessy. Prithviraj had been cast for the project 16 years prior in 2008.Aadujeevitham was critically and commercially successful with Prithviraj earning critical acclaim for his performance.[47] His second release,Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, marking his fourth film inHindi cinema, received negative reviews from critics and was abox-office bomb.[48] His third release, the comedy-dramaGuruvayoor Ambalanadayil was also a commercial success.[49] Both films ranks among the list ofList of highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. He won theKerala State Film Award for Best Actor forAadujeevitham that year.[50] In 2025, he directed and starred inL2: Empuraan, a sequel toLucifer. The film received mixed reviews from critics but still emerged as a commercial success.[51]
Prithviraj next appeared in the Hindi filmSarzameen (2025), directed byKayoze Irani, the son ofBoman Irani, and produced byKaran Johar,Apoorva Mehta, andAdar Poonawalla underDharma Productions. It released directly ontoJioHotstar to mixed-to-negative reviews.[52] He is slated to have multiple releases in the latter half of 2025 in Malayalam,Vilayath Buddha,Nobody, andSanthosh Trophy.[53][54][55]
In 2026, he will appear in the highly anticipated sequel toSalaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire,Salaar: Part 2 - Shouryanga Parvam. He has also signed on to appear inVaranasi directed byS. S. Rajamouli and co-starringMahesh Babu andPriyanka Chopra.[56]
Prithviraj marriedBBC India reporter Supriya Menon on 25 April 2011 in a private ceremony held inPalakkad.[57][58] They have a daughter, born in 2014. Prithviraj and his family used to reside inThevara,Kochi.[59][60] Since 2024, he has been staying at a house bought for ₹30 crores, atPali Hill,Mumbai.[61]
Prithviraj Productions is an Indianfilm production anddistribution company based inKochi, established in 2017 by Prithviraj and his wife Supriya Menon. Since then, it has produced and distributed over 10 films.[62][63]
| Year | Film | Director | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9 | Jenuse Mohamed | Malayalam | [64] | |
| Driving Licence | Lal Jr. | Malayalam | [65] | ||
| 2021 | Kuruthi | Manu Warrier | Malayalam | [66] | |
| 2022 | Jana Gana Mana | Dijo Jose Antony | Malayalam | [67] | |
| Kaduva | Shaji Kailas | Malayalam | [68] | ||
| Gold | Alphonse Puthren | Malayalam | [69] | ||
| 2023 | Selfiee | Raj Mehta | Hindi | Remake ofDriving Licence | [70] |
| 2024 | Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil | Vipin Das | Malayalam | [71] |
| Year | Film | Director | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Petta | Karthik Subbaraj | Tamil | [72] | |
| Bigil | Atlee | [73] | |||
| 2021 | Master | Lokesh Kanagaraj | [74] | ||
| Doctor | Nelson Dilipkumar | [75] | |||
| 83 | Kabir Khan | Hindi | |||
| 2022 | KGF: Chapter 2 | Prashanth Neel | Kannada | Distributed Malayalam version | [76] |
| 777 Charlie | Kiranraj K. | [77] | |||
| Kantara | Rishab Shetty | [78] | |||
| Kumari | Nirmal Sahadev | Malayalam | [79] | ||
| 2023 | Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire | Prashanth Neel | Telugu | Distributed Malayalam version | [80] |
| 2024 | The Goat Life | Blessy | Malayalam | [81] |
Prithviraj is considered among the most popular and highest-paid actors ofMalayalam cinema.[3][4] He was placed fourth in 2013 and first in 2015, inRediff.com "Best Malayalam Actor" list.[82][83] His performance inMumbai Police is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" byFilm Companion.[84] Prithviraj was named theKochi Times Most Desirable Men of 2017 and 2019. He was further placed 4th in 2018 and 2nd in 2020, on the same list.[85][86][87][88] A research study conducted in 2023 by Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) stated that Prithviraj was the third highest-ranked celebrity in Malayalam cinema.[89] In 2024,Hindustan Times placed him in their "Top Performances of the Year" list.[90] In 2024, Prithviraj was placed 100th onIMDb's List of 100 Most Viewed Indian Stars.[91]
Prithviraj won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam forIndian Rupee. He has received fourKerala State Film Awards:Best Actor forVaasthavam,Celluloid andAyalum Njanum Thammil, andThe Goat Life, andBest Film forIndian Rupee.[92][93] He has also won theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Malayalam forCelluloid andTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain forKaaviya Thalaivan.[94][95]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |