Thilakan

Acting

Thilakan

Born — Died

1935-07-15 — 2012-09-24

Place of birth

Ayroor, Kerala, India

Known for

Acting

Credits

60 titles

Surendranatha Thilakan known mononymously as Thilakan, was an Indian film and stage actor who had starred in over 200 Malayalam films in a career spanning over four decades (1972-2012). Thilakan is regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, and popularly mentioned as the Perumthachan (master craftsman) of Malayalam Cinema. He is known for his excellence in character, antagonist, and protagonist roles. He has won 3 National Film Awards and 9 Kerala State Film Awards. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Shri in 2009 for his contributions towards the arts.

Known for

Film credits

2010s · 4 titles

2000s · 11 titles

Before the Rains poster
4.8

Set in southern India in the late 1930s, this provocative tale traces the story of three people caught in an inexorable web of forbidden romance and dangerous secrets. After a British spice planter falls in love with his alluring servant, an idealistic young man finds himself torn between his ambitions and his family, his village and his past.

Before the Rains

2007

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja poster
6.9

Set in the backdrop of the seventeenth century, the royal family of Kottayam is ruled by Pazhassi. The British government begins to impose heavy taxes on the locals in the Thalassery region of Kerala.

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja

2009

Nerariyan CBI poster
5.7

A string of mysterious murders happen in an aristocratic mansion. The owners of the mansion seek CBI officer Sethurama Iyer's help to find the person responsible for the deaths.

Nerariyan CBI

2005

Kerala Cafe poster
6.7

Ten interconnected short stories unfolding around a roadside railway café in Kerala, where travelers from diverse backgrounds pass through, their lives briefly intersecting amid themes of migration, relationships and modern struggles.

Kerala Cafe

2009

Evidam Swargamanu poster
6.6

Mathews has a farm which is the envy of everyone in the village. It catches the attention of a dirty land dealer who traps him in a vicious bureaucratic web to take it from him.

Evidam Swargamanu

2009

Vellinakshatram poster
5.6

Vinod loves Aswathi, who belongs to a royal family with dark secrets. However, strange events occur after Aswathi mysteriously dies during childbirth and their daughter is believed to be possessed.

Vellinakshatram

2004

Prajapathi poster
4.1

Narayanan, who gets convicted for killing his father, returns from prison to his village and works selflessly for its people. However, his vengeful relatives create obstacles for him.

Prajapathi

2006

One Way Ticket poster
4.2

Kunjappu, a jeep driver and an ardent admirer of superstar Mammootty, finds himself troubled when his relationship with his girlfriend is in disarray. But he is rapt when Mammootty himself intervenes to solve his issues.

One Way Ticket

2008

Vairam poster
3.7

Sivarajan fights for justice when he loses his daughter, Vairamani, who is raped and killed by Thalikkulam Josekutty, an evil man from a powerful family.

Vairam

2009

Manjadikuru poster
7.7

A story of homecoming from late 1970s, when 10 year old Vicky arrives at his grandparents home in rural Kerala to attend his grandfather's funeral. The disjointed family gathers together for the sixteen day long funeral period. During this period, Vicky discovers more about himself, his family and culture than he had expected to. The journey is narrated through the memories of an adult Vicky who returns to the same house to recount the experience.

Manjadikuru

2008

Narasimham poster
7.3

Poovalli Induchoodan (Mohanlal) is sentenced for six years prison life for murdering his classmate. Induchoodan, the only son of Justice Maranchery Karunakara Menon (Thilakan) was framed in the case by Manapally Madhavan Nambiar (Narayanan Nair) and his crony DYSP Sankaranarayanan (Bheeman Raghu) to take revenge on idealist judge Menon who had earlier given jail sentence to Manapally in a corruption case. The story begins with Induchoodan released and his father & mother coming to stay with him.

Narasimham

2000

1990s · 23 titles

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Pramanikal

1992

Manichitrathazhu poster
7.6

A young couple, Ganga and Nakulan, arrives at the ancestral home called Madampalli of the latter. Hailing from a family that follows tradition and superstitions, Nakulan's uncle Thampi objects to the couple's idea of moving into the allegedly haunted mansion, which Nakulan ignores. The couple moves in anyway following which seemingly supernatural events begin to happen.

Manichitrathazhu

1993

British Market poster
9.0

British Market is a 1998 Malayalam film directed by Nizar and starring Vijayaraghavan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Sudheesh and Anju Aravind in major roles.

British Market

1998

Kilukkam poster
7.5

A tourist guide (Joji) in Ooty shelters a mentally unstable woman (Nandini) in return for the reward offered by her relatives. Later, he comes to know that she is in danger from her relatives.

Kilukkam

1991

Vendor Daniel State Licency poster
8.0

A greedy vendor named Daniel fools lot of people inorder to make more money. One day he accidently kills his own son which makes him realise that money cant buy everything.

Vendor Daniel State Licency

1994

Kallazhagar poster
NR

Kallazhagar is a 1999 Tamil film directed by Bharathi featuring Vijaykanth and Laila in the lead roles.

Kallazhagar

1999

Samarasimha Reddy poster
5.1

A man claims to be the long-lost brother of three sisters, returning to help improve their lives. His true identity, and the intention behind his scheme, is revealed in a Rayalaseema-set flashback.

Samarasimha Reddy

1999

Mathilukal poster
7.6

Mathilukal ('Walls') is a free adaptation of the novelette of the same name, written by the celebrated Malayalam writer, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. Autobiographical in character, it is set against the background of India’s freedom struggle in the ’40s when he was serving a term of imprisonment in the Trivandrum Central Jail. When the film opens, we see Basheer in a police lock-up, quite at home in the company of a few petty criminals. He has been languishing there for more than a year now without a trial.

Mathilukal

1990

Sadayam poster
7.4

Sathyanathan is condemned to death for brutally murdering four persons – two adults and two young girls – and is awaiting his final call. He shows no remorse and is just as cheerful as a man who knows he has done no wrong. In a series of flashbacks, Sathyanathan's story is revealed.

Sadayam

1992

No artwork available
NR

Shakeela, who is from a rich family, marries Abdu, a poor man. Problems start brewing in their life when she comes to know that he is suffering from autism.

Ghoshayaathra

1993

Godfather poster
7.5

A retelling of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", the film revolves around the rivalry between two families, the Anjooran and Anappara houses, and the consequences faced when two members of the families fall in love.

Godfather

1991

No artwork available
NR

Manu joins his family-owned college only to see the messy state of affairs prevalent there. He then takes it upon himself to restore law and order in the college premises.

Poonilamazha

1997

Dhanam poster
6.2

A young debtor's idea of turning in a group of smugglers for a lump sum amount as a reward goes awry as they set the dogs on him.

Dhanam

1991

Kulam poster
10.0

A loose adaptation of C. V. Raman Pillai's historical novel Marthandavarma with focus on the character of Subhadra.

Kulam

1997

Ishtadanam poster
8.0

Ishtadanam is a 1997 Indian Malayalam film directed by Remesh Kumar and starring Jagathy Sreekumar and Innocent in the lead roles.

Ishtadanam

1997

Ammayane Sathyam poster
6.1

Fifteen-year-old Parvathi (Annie) witnesses her family getting murdered and runs away from them to save her life. To prevent getting caught, she disguises herself as a boy named Thomas and starts living as a servant in a house of bachelors. One of the bachelors, Omanakuttan (Mukesh) discovers that Thomas is actually a girl. After hearing her story, Omanakkuttan and his friends try to help her. Before Jaganatha Varma could kill her, Policeman S. Narayanan (Balachandra Menon) discovers his plan and saves Parvathi.

Ammayane Sathyam

1993

Udan Pirappu poster
7.0

Best friends Sathya and Viji are against selling their colony to a land grabber. Their friendship is put to the test after Viji falls in love with Sumathi and marries her.

Udan Pirappu

1993

Kuttettan poster
4.7

Although married, Vishnu is a habitual flirt and always looks out for an affair. When he is almost caught with a young girl in his house, he lies to his family that she is his illegitimate daughter.

Kuttettan

1990

Ayudha Poojai poster
5.5

Krishnasamy (Arjun Sarja), a respected man, and Samiyappan (Thilakan) are in a feud for several years. Amudha (Nikitha), Krishnasamy's daughter, hates her father because she thinks that he is a killer. A few years before, Krishnasamy was a tea master with his friend Kandhasamy (Goundamani). After his father's death, Krishnasamy had a lot of responsibility. He fell in love with Sindhamani (Roja). In the meantime, Samiyappan, a local don, canceled his engagement because Sindhamani's father promised Sindhamani to his son (Raja). One day, Krishnasamy ridiculed Samiyappan in a politic function. This humilition irks Samiyappan, so his henchmen burnt Krishnasamy's house and Krishnasamy's brother who was in the house died. In anger, Krishnasamy entered Samiyappan's house and fought against his henchmen but an honest police officer (Nagesh) arrested him before he committed murder. The police officer gave him a mission : stopping Samiyappan's illegal activities.

Ayudha Poojai

1995

Spadikam poster
7.4

Chacko Master, a school headmaster, is never happy with his son, Thomas, and always degrades him. Having had enough of his ill treatment, Thomas runs away from home only to return as a gangster after long.

Spadikam

1995

Pavithram poster
7.0

A young man's relationship with his career, fiancee and brother is brought under stress by the birth of an unexpected sister. The film deals with the relationship between siblings Unnikrishnan and Meenakshi who have an almost 30 year age difference between them.

Pavithram

1994

The Truth poster
6.4

The Truth deals with an investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) involving the murder of the Chief Minister of Kerala in bomb blast.

The Truth

1998

O' Faby poster
8.5

O'Faby was the first live action animated movie in Malayalam. It tells the story about the friendship between a boy and an animated character Faby and their adventures.

O' Faby

1993

1980s · 22 titles

No artwork available
NR

Labourer-turned-manager Rajashekharan faces existential and ethical dilemmas as occupational fatalities occur in the factory of the company he works for, and labour strikes, led by his friend-cum-ex-colleague Mohan, intensify

Bones

1983

Chakkikotha Chankaran poster
7.6

Raghavan Thampi (Thilakan) and his wife Subhadra (Sukumari) have two sons, Prabhakaran (Nedumudi) and Pradeep (Jayaram). Prabhakaran wants to become a mridungam maestro against the wishes of his parents who want him to get married. When Prabhakaran refuses, Subhadra emotionally blackmails him and gets him married off to Shailaja (Geetha). Meanwhile Pradeep falls in love with Roshni (Urvashi) and they get married secretly without their parents' knowledge.

Chakkikotha Chankaran

1989

Irakal poster
8.4

Mathews, a ruthless rubber baron, is involved in various criminal activities. Baby, Mathews' son, begins to turn violent due to the environment he has grown up in, causing Mathews to repent his deeds.

Irakal

1985

Kireedam poster
7.9

Sethu aspires to become a police officer to fulfil his father's dream. However, his life turns upside down when he intervenes in a scuffle with a criminal to save his father's life.

Kireedam

1989

Yavanika poster
8.3

Ayyappan, a tabla player of a touring drama group, goes missing. Later on, Sub-Inspector Jacob Eeraly is assigned to investigate the case and finds out disturbing truths.

Yavanika

1982

Nadodikkattu poster
8.0

After losing their jobs, Dasan and Vijayan have no hope of finding work in Kerala. They plan to escape to Dubai, but end up in Chennai. Can they find luck there?

Nadodikkattu

1987

Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback poster
6.1

Lekha is an aspiring actress who becomes successful and very popular. One day, she commits suicide! Why?

Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback

1983

No artwork available
9.0

Meera, a rich girl, and Baby, her brother's driver, fall in love with each other. However, problems arise when Meera's brother learns about their relationship.

Onningu Vannengil

1985

Manja Mantharangal poster
9.0

Isaac is a dedicated doctor who leads a happy life with his family. He falls in love with Gladia. His life is rocked when he suddenly learns about a secret from his past.

Manja Mantharangal

1987

Pattanapravesham poster
7.0

CID officers Ramdas and Vijayan go to Kerala to find the murderer of a police officer. While doing so, they face a dangerous crime syndicate that deals in drug trafficking.

Pattanapravesham

1988

Orkkapurathu poster
7.4

Brokers, Freddy and Nicholas, try various ways to make money to repossess their boat from a businessman. However, they get into trouble when they resort to illegal ways to earn money.

Orkkapurathu

1988

Gandhinagar 2nd Street poster
7.2

Sethu, an unemployed youth, struggles to find a job. When a spate of robberies takes place in his friend's neighborhood, he poses as a Gurkha to get a job as a security guard.

Gandhinagar 2nd Street

1986

Ente Mamattukkuttiyammakku poster
8.2

No synopsis available yet.

Ente Mamattukkuttiyammakku

1983

Thaniyavarthanam poster
7.8

Balan, a teacher, has a mentally unstable uncle. There is a belief that the family is cursed to have a lunatic at all times. When the uncle passes away, people believe that Balan will be the next.

Thaniyavarthanam

1987

No artwork available
9.0

Ajayan, a successful businessman, is in love with his secretary. Ashok, his rival in love, is kidnapped and Ajayan must rescue him.

Akalathe Ambili

1985

Kathakku Pinnil poster
8.5

A dramatist finds the story of a lifetime in the adventures of a young woman who turns to him for help

Kathakku Pinnil

1987

Uyarangalil poster
5.0

Jayarajan (Mohanlal), an over-enthusiastic assistant manager at a tea plantation plans to loot a huge amount. He lures two debt-ridden subordinates, Chandran (Rahman) and Johnny (Nedumudi Venu), into his conspiracy.

Uyarangalil

1984

Mizhineerppoovukal poster
9.0

Mizhineer Poovukal is a 1986 Malayalam film directed by Kamal. The film stars Mohanlal, Urvashi, Lizy Priyadarshan and Thilakan in lead roles.

Mizhineerppoovukal

1986

Arappatta Kettiya Graamathil poster
5.8

Three friends, Sakharia, Gopi and Bilal go to a brothel for enjoyment. They find a girl who was forced into prostitution and decide to save her.

Arappatta Kettiya Graamathil

1986

Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam poster
7.6

The only way Gopalakrishnan can escape from certain bankruptcy is to sell the property he owns in the city and use the proceeds to settle his debts. To do that, he has to evict his tenants from there first. Unfortunate for him, his tenant is the feisty Meera and her family, who absolutely refuses to vacate the house. Gopalakrishnan uses an obscure clause in the contract to take up residence at the house, and tries his best to smoke his tenants out.

Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam

1986

Thammil Thammil poster
7.0

Vivek, a talented dancer and singer, meets Kavitha during one of his performances and takes a liking to her. She is the sister of Dr Rajagopal. When Vivek's sister marries a police inspector and Vivek comes to know that they are searching for a house for rent, he manages to get the house opposite Rajagopal's in order to meet Kavitha. After several meetings their love blossoms.

Thammil Thammil

1985

Vasantha Sena poster
10.0

Mahesh is in love with Merlyn, who belongs to an Anglo-Indian family, but this relation is opposed by Shailaja Varma, his sister. Shailaja too had a love affair a long time back with Devan, who was killed by Shailaja's family. A conflict arises between Mahesh and Shailaja. Now Sidarth loves Shailaja and would like to marry her.

Vasantha Sena

1985