N. N. Pillai

N. N. Pillai Biography

N. N. Pillai was a versatile theatre artist of Malayalam. His son Vijayaraghavan is also a popular actor of Malayalam. Though he has acted in a few movies, those movies are memorable ones. It’s for his role as a stubborn father, Anjooran in the longest running movie of Malayalam, Godfather (1991), that’s he is remembered most. He played the leading actor role in this movie and he, along with Philomina as Aanappara Achamma played the most significant part to make this movie a gigantic success of box office. Till now, its record of 406 days in a single theatre has not been broken in Malayalam. Later this movie was remade to Hindi by Priyadarshan with title, Hulchul. Amrish Puri reprised the role played by him, which happened to be one of the last movies of his career. When Godfather was remade to Tamil and Telugu, he reprised the same roles onscreen. 

N. N. Pillai was a playwright, theatre actor as well as an orator. Pillai has written over 30 Malayalam plays, 40 one-act plays, two theoretical studies on theater and an autobiography. In most characters he played, he appeared as a harsh, extra discipline and unruffled person. When he appeared as Anjooran in the movie Godfather it was something like a new experience for audience and still now, the movie is remembered most for his unique performance. He has also acted in Malayalam movies -  Veluthampi Dalawa (1962), Manushya Bandangal (1972), Kapalika (1973 – the debut movie of his son Vijayaraghavan), Nadodi (1992) and Peddarikam (Telugu), the same year.

N. N. Pillai was born in 1918 at Vaikom, Kottayam as the son of Ullilakkiru Parambil Narayana Pillai and Vaikom Thekkathil Parukkutty Amma. After failure in intermediate exams, he went to Malay in search of a job. He returned to India in 1945 and later settled with his family in Kottayam. N. N. Pillai started a drama troupe called Viswa Kerala Kala Samithi in 1952, where he worked as a playwright and actor. Though he has appeared in a few movies, theatre was everything for him.

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Updated: June 13, 2018