Anil (film Director)

Anil (film Director) Biography

Anil is a film director associated with Malayalam films. He is credited as P. Anil for early movies, which he directed alone, and has directed around 10 movies. Later he collaborated with Babu Narayanan. Anil, together with Babu Narayanan has directed more than 20 films, and the duo is credited in films as Anil Babu. Anil joined film industry in the late 1980s, and has spent three decades in the industry. He is also teaching a "visual communication" course in various colleges in Kerala. Pattabhishekam, Injakkadan Mathai & Sons, Sakshal Sreeman Chathunni, Sreedhanam, Mayilpeelikkavu etc are some of the major hits to their credit as ‘Anil babu’.

Late actress Kalpana, best known as a comedian was his first wife. Though theirs was a love marriage, it ended in a divorce in 2012. The couple has one daughter. Though there were rumours for their separation for a few years earlier before it actually happened, the couple denied it initially.  

Anil was born on 3 May 1963 in Alappuzha, Kerala. Purushothaman Nair and Lakshimikutty Amma are his parents. As a film director, he marked his debut with 1989 film, Anantha Vruthantham starring Sai Kumar and Ranjini. It was followed by Post Box No. 27, starring Mukesh and Siddique in the lead roles. Later he joined hands with Babu Narayanan for the movie, Manthrikacheppu, starring Jagadish, Siddique, Mala Aravindan, Sunitha and Suchitra, and the director’s name was credited as Anil babu.

The duo is credited to giving the first full-fledged hero role to comedian Jagadish through 1992 film, Welcome to Kodaikanal. The directors have given many small budget commercial movies with small time actors who joined film industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Later they went on to become very successful; Jagadish, Siddique, Sunitha, Suchitra etc to mention a few. Jagadish was almost a fixture in most of their movies in the 1990s. The duo also worked with Jayaram and Urvasi in many movies.

The duo continued the success streak with 1990s formula with a series of comedy and action thriller movies and family dramas throughout the decade, and received success for movies such as Injakkadan Mathai & Sons, Sakshal Sreeman Chathunni, Ponnaramthottathe Raajaavu, Kudumba Vishesham, Sreedhanam, Achan Kombathu Amma Varampathu, Radholsavam, Harbour, Aramana Veedum Anjoorekkarum, Mannadiar Penninu Chenkotta Checkan, Mayilpeelikkavu, Pattabhishekam, Pakalppooram, Valkannadi, Njan Salperu Ramankutty, Climax (2013 film) etc. Anil also directed the movie – Street in 1995.

Published: October 15, 2018

Updated: October 15, 2018