Ravi Menon

Ravi Menon Biography

Ravi Menon was a popular actor of Malayalam cinema in the 1970s and 1980s. He portrayed both lead roles and supporting roles. Mani Kaul's Duvidha marked his acting debut in the year 1973. This Bollywood movie bagged the prestigious National Film Award for Best Direction and Critics Award for Best film at the 1974 Filmfare Awards. Ravi Menon played the lead role of Krishnalla in this movie. Shah Rukh Khan starrer Paheli is inspired from this movie. As a Malayalam film actor, he is better known as the lead hero of National award winning movie Nirmalyam. Nirmalyam marked his malayaalm debut as well.

Ravi Menon was born in 1950 at Sreekrishna Puram in Palakkad. This talented actor completed his diploma from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. Very soon he made his acting debut through Bollywood movie, Duvidha followed by Nirmalyam. Nirmalyam was the first release and he played the role of a poor Brahmin boy. He played lead hero in both these movies and both are highly acclaimed National award winning movies. Ravi Menon got State Award Special Jury award for Nirmalyam, though P. J. Antony who portrayed Velichappad received National award. He played the role of rejected lover - Roy in Malayalam’s one of the earliest campus movies – Shalini ente koottukari. The evergreen song sung by Yesudas, Nin thumpu kettiyitta churul mudiyil was pictured on him.

Truth is that many commercial directors didn’t utilize his talent thinking that he will work for only parallel cinema. With 1980s he moved to character roles. In 2007 he passed away aged only 57. Shalini Enete Kootukari', 'Oyaragal', 'Radha Enna Penkutty', ‘Shyama’, ‘Minnaram’ and ‘Kilukkam’ are some of his roles. He was unmarried.

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Updated: September 19, 2014