John Paul

Biography

John Paul (29 October 1950 – 23 April 2022) was a prominent Indian screenwriter, producer, author and actor who worked mainly in Malayalam cinema. He was particularly active during the 1980s and early 1990s and was known for his collaborations with filmmaker Bharathan.

Born in Ernakulam, Kerala, to Rebecca and P. V. Paulose, John Paul completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. He joined Canara Bank in 1972 but resigned from his banking career in 1983 to pursue filmmaking and writing.

As a screenwriter, John Paul wrote numerous Malayalam films, particularly in collaboration with Bharathan. His writing was noted for its emphasis on human relationships, emotions and social themes. He also contributed to documentaries and television programmes and became an influential figure within the Malayalam film industry.

John Paul was a founding General Secretary of MACTA (Malayalam Cine Technicians Association), an organisation representing film technicians. He also worked as a producer, notably producing Oru Cheru Punchiri (2000), directed by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The film received recognition at the state, national and international levels.

He was also an author and received the Kerala State Award for Best Film Book for M.T. Oru Anuyathra. His other honours included awards for environmental filmmaking, television and film criticism.

In his later years, John Paul also appeared as an actor. He had notable roles in films such as Gangster (2014) and C/O Saira Banu (2017), alongside sharing his memories and experiences of Malayalam cinema through television programmes.

John Paul died in Kochi on 23 April 2022, aged 71. He was married to Aisha Elizabeth, and they had a daughter, Jisha Jibi. He is remembered as an important screenwriter and chronicler of Malayalam cinema, particularly for his contribution to the industry during its influential 1980s period.