Prithviraj Sukumaran
Prithviraj Sukumaran is an Indian actor, director, producer and playback singer primarily active in Malayalam cinema.[1] He has also featured in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films, adding to over a 100 films involving diverse genres and variety of roles.[2] Prithviraj's accolades include a National Film Award, three Kerala State Film Awards, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, seven SIIMA Awards and a South Filmfare Award.[3]
Prithviraj made his acting debut with the 2002 hit film Nandanam (2002).[4] After a career downturn, he made a comeback with Classmates (2006), the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year, and became the youngest recipient of Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for Vaasthavam (2006).
He then played a musician in the Tamil romantic comedy Mozhi (2007) and ventured into playback singing with Puthiya Mukham (2009) before earning his second Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for the medical drama Ayalum Njanum Thammil and biographical film Celluloid (both 2010).[5]
In 2010, Prithviraj joined the production house August Cinema. He co-produced and headlined Urumi and Indian Rupee (both 2011); the latter won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam and Kerala State Film Award for Best Film.[6] He won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Villain for Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014) and had further success with Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015) and Ezra (2017).
After leaving August Cinema in 2017, he launched Prithviraj Productions independently that firstly backed 9 (2019). Prithviraj made his directorial debut with Lucifer (2019), the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that point. He has since achieved critical and commercial success with Driving License (2019), Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020), Jana Gana Mana (2022), Kaduva (2022) and The Goat Life (2024) and played a pivotal role in the Telugu action film Salaar (2023).
Early life, family and education
Prithviraj Sukumaran was born on 16 October, 1982[7] to the actors Sukumaran and Mallika Sukumaran[8] at Thiruvananthapuram.[9]
His family was settled in Tamil Nadu at the time, where he attended Shrine Vailankanni Senior Secondary School in T. Nagar, Chennai, and St. Joseph's Boys School, Coonoor.[10] When the family moved to Kerala, he attended the NSS Public School, Perunthanni.[11] 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 at Sainik School, Kazhakootam and Bhavan's Senior Secondary School, Kodunganoor. He also participated and won several debates and elocution competitions while in school.[4][12] Prithviraj won the title of "Mr LA Fest" in the Annual Inter-School arts festival hosted by Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram in successive years and is the only person to date to win that title twice.[13]
After school, he studied for a bachelor's degree in Information Technology at the University of Tasmania in Australia. During this time, he auditioned for film director Ranjith and won the lead role in the film Nandanam.[4] It was film director Fazil who introduced him to Ranjith.[4] His elder brother Indrajith Sukumaran and sister-in-law Poornima Indrajith are also film actors.
Career
Debut and career struggles (2002–2008)
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. Though Nandanam was the first film that Prithviraj acted in, it was released after Nakshathrakkannulla Rajakumaran Avanundoru Rajakumari and Stop Violence.
Prithviraj then appeared in films directed by Lohithadas, Vinayan, Kamal and Bhadran. Shyamaprasad, who cast him in lead role in his film Akale, said that Prithvi's advantages are his talent and intelligence irrespective of his box office successes.[14]
Prithviraj in 2005
In 2005, Prithviraj Sukumaran debuted in Tamil through Kana Kandaen.[15] In 2006, Prithviraj co-starred with actor Bhagyaraj's daughter Saranya Bhagyaraj in Parijatham. It has been acclaimed as a hit and gave the actor a turning point in his Tamil film career.[16]
In 2006, he played the role of Sub Inspector Solomon Joseph in Vargam, then appeared in Vaasthavam, for which he received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor.[17] He was the youngest actor to win the award.[18] The same year he starred in Lal Jose's Classmates. In 2007, he starred in Chocolate, directed by Shafi.[19] In 2007, Prithviraj co-starred in Mozhi. He also starred in Satham Podathey and Kannamoochi Yenada in the same year.
In 2008, he starred in Thalappavu, (directed by Madhupal) and Thirakkatha (directed by Ranjith), playing pivotal characters in both. One of the reviews of Thalappavu describes it as the coming-of-age film for prithviraj describing the "spartan dignity" he brought to his portrayal of the Naxalite Joseph.[20] The Sify review of Thirakkatha describes it as a "genuine attempt that keeps the viewer engaged until the end".
Both Thalappavu and Thirakkatha shared the award for the best film in the Film Critics Award for 2008. He also made a special appearance in Anjali Menon's Manjadikuru. In 2008, Prithviraj starred in Vellithirai, the Tamil remake of Udayananu Tharam. Rediff described his performance: "Prithviraj ... makes the best of his assets – his expressive eyes, which glint in fury, soften with love, or brim over with frustrated tears."[22]