Prithviraj Sukumaran: The Versatile Aadujeevitham ActorPrithviraj Sukumaran, the Aadujeevitham actor found fame as an all-rounder in the film industry with roles successfully played as actor, director, and producer. He is a sensation in the film world as the upcoming releases’ hype and marketing rocked the internet, and advance booking numbers are proof of the impact he is making.
Keralites often remember the aspiration and commitment that the versatile actor kept noting in one of his older interviews in which the Aadujeevitham actor is heard talking about his long-term career goals. Even at the presumed peak of his career as an actor, he predicted that his ranges in the movie would be wider and that it could only be seen after his 40s. Realising his dream, the actor has created history, expanding his horizon and becoming a pan-Indian film personality.
Born in 1982 to Malayalam actors late Sukumaran and Mallika, Prithviraj made his film debut in 2002 with the Mollywood movie Nandanam at the age of 19. The actor hence started exploring the film industry in a variety of roles ranging from musician, and playback singer to producer and director. His directorial debut with Lucifer became the highest-ever grossing Malayalam movie till 2023, which was especially praised for the bellbinding action sequences and the director’s brilliance.
The 40-year-old has acted in more than one hundred films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. It was while he was studying bachelor’s degree in Australia that he won an audition for his firm Movie, Nandanam. The actor then embarked on his film journey, bagging a National Film Award, three Kerala State Film Awards, and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award among many others. His 2006 movie Classmates became a sensational commercial success, helping him to brand himself among the filmgoers. Some of many of his commercial hits include Mozhi, Puthiya Mukham, Anwar, Robin Hood, Indian Rupee, Ennu Ninte Moideen, Lucifer, Jana Gana Mana, Ayyappanum Koshiyum, Salaar among others.
Prithviraj Sukumaran is also a man of strong principles and values, who is known for his dedication and the efforts he put into his projects. The actor’s body transformation for the film, Aadujeevitham, reducing more than 30 kg weight to become the protagonist Najeeb’s character astonished many.
As an actor who is well aware of his surroundings, he has his own perspectives on political and social issues. He faced social media backlash following his ‘SaveLakshadweep’ campaign after the administration sought to reform certain laws on the Island. His movies such as Jana Gana Mana discussed the social reality of media trials and political manoeuvres. However, following criticism of the choice of his films, he said that he sees the movie as merely an art and does not produce it to take a political stance.
The actor is also known for speaking his mind in interviews and thus was branded as ‘arrogant’ during the initial days of his career. “When I first came to the film industry, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I was called an introvert and that later I became arrogant and now I’m celebrated as courageous,” the actor said. Following rumours about Prithviraj’s association with devil worship in movies such as Aadam Jhon and Lucifer, Prithviraj opened up about his view on religion and worship. During an interview, he said that he has zero percent belief in religion, adding that religion was used to create a social structure in medieval times.
As the actor moves forward in the ‘post-40s best career phase,’ the cinephiles who have understood the range of Prithviraj are eager to watch what his celebrated upcoming movie Aadujeevitham has to offer them. Prithviraj reportedly appears in a masked villain’s role in the upcoming action-packed Bollywood release Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, starring actors Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in addition to Aadujeevitham actor.
Prithviraj Sukumaran is married to former BBC India reporter Supriya Menon and has a daughter Alankrita.