Siddique (director)

Siddique (director) Biography

Siddique is a successful director of Malayalam, Tamil and Bollywood. His debut movies of all these three languages have been huge hits at box office – Ramji Rao Speaking (Malayalam -1989), Friends (2001) and Bodyguard (2010). His movies have always created new records in box office and among all his movies, Hindi version of Bodyguard with Salman khan and Kareena Kapoor as lead was the most successful movie in his career. He has directed its Malayalam and Tamil versions as well. This movie was remade to Telugu and Kannada as well, though by other directors. But the original script of this movie belongs to him only.

Siddique entered Malayalam film industry as a scriptwriter for Satyan Anthikad. He was behind the scripts of super hit comedies of 80’s – Pappan priyapetta pappan and Nadodikaattu. His third attempt was as a director, pairing with Lal, a stage actor. The movie ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’ released in 1989 was a huge hit. It marked the beginning of a new era of directors – Siddique Lal and their comedy formulae as well. Ramji Rao Speaking was later remade to Tamil (Arangetra Velai) and Hindi (Hera Pheri) as well.

The association of Lal and Siddique has given numerous hits to Malayalam.  Godfather (won Kerala state awards for most popular film) still holds the record of longest running Malayalam movie in the film history. It completed 408 days in a theatre at Thiruvananthapuram creating a record, that’s unbroken till now.  As a script writer and director, Siddique completely dominated the ‘comedy’ branch of Malayalam cinema during the first half of 90’s. Their other hit movies include – Vietnam Colony (to be released soon in Hindi) and Kabuliwala.

Due to some reasons, this hit pair parted in 1996. Somehow, their association continued for a while where Lal acted as a producer to many of the blockbuster hits of Siddique. Those movies include – Hitler and Friends. Friends was one such landmark movie that created new collection records and Siddique directed this movie in Tamil and Telugu (Snehamante Idera) marking his debut in other languages as well.   

His other successful movies as a director are Chronic Bachelor, Engal Anna (Remake of Chronic bachelor), Ladies and Gentleman and Sadhu miranda. Though there are rumours that he is to remake Chronic Bachelor to Hindi with Salman Khan as the leading actor, he has not confirmed yet. Apart from writing scripts of his own movies, he has also written scripts for movies like Mannar mathai speaking and Ayal Kathayezhuthukayanu.  

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Updated: May 21, 2018