Oduvil Unnikrishnan

Biography

Oduvil Unnikrishnan (13 February 1944 – 27 May 2006) was a highly respected Indian actor who worked primarily in Malayalam cinema. He was known for his natural acting style and was equally effective in comic, supporting and serious character roles.

Born in Wadakkanchery, Thrissur, Kerala, he developed an interest in music from childhood and trained in vocal music, tabla and mridangam. He worked as a tabla player with theatre groups including KPAC and Kerala Kalavedi, where he also gained his first acting experience.

He entered Malayalam cinema with Darshanam (1973) and subsequently appeared in more than 200 films. Some of his memorable performances were in Guruvayur Kesavan (1977), Sarapanjaram (1979), Yoddha (1992), Sandesham, Thooval Kottaram (1996), Nizhalkuthu (2002), Meesa Madhavan (2002), C.I.D. Moosa (2003), Manassinakkare (2003), Vamanapuram Bus Route (2004), Mayilattam (2004), Achuvinte Amma (2005) and Rasathanthram (2006).

His performance as Kaliyappan in Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Nizhalkuthu earned him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2002. He had also received state recognition for his performances in Kathapurushan and Thooval Kottaram.

Besides acting, Oduvil Unnikrishnan was a singer and music composer. He composed music for the album Parasuram Express and also worked on music for the unreleased film Sarvam Saha.

He died on 27 May 2006 in Kozhikode following kidney failure. His final released film was Rasathanthram (2006), directed by Sathyan Anthikad. He remains remembered as one of the most distinctive and beloved character actors in Malayalam cinema.