Sai Kumar, also credited as Saikumar, is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. He is the son of the late Malayalam actor Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair. He appears in both positive and negative roles. He notably plays the hero role in Ramji Rao Speaking, and the villain in Makkal Mahatmyam.
Personal life
Sai Kumar is the son of actor Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair and Vijayalakshmi Amma. He has seven sisters, five of whom are elder and two younger to him. Actress Shobha Mohan is his elder sister and actors Vinu Mohan and Anu Mohan are his nephews. He was first married to Prasanna Kumari, but divorced in 2007. They have a daughter named Vaishnavi, who is also an actress in TV serials, from his first marriage. He later married actress Bindu Panicker.
Career
Sai Kumar started his career in theatre. He was offered the lead role in the film Swathi Thirunal (film), but it was later done by Anant Nag. He made his debut in the blockbuster Ramji Rao Speaking (1989). It was directed by two debutantes, Siddique and Lal (Siddique-Lal), and had debutant actors Sai Kumar and Rekha in the lead. Sai Kumar debuted in cinema in the 1977 film Vidarunna Mottukal as a child artist. He started his career with comedy roles, and gradually moved to character roles. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his performance in the 2007 film Anandabhairavi.
The success of the film helped him to earn a lot of opportunities in the next few years. He has done leading roles in a few films such as Sauhradam, Thudarkkatha, Khoshayathra, Anantha Vrithantham, and Thooval Sparsam. But in that age of comedy, he could not make an impact as a hero, while Mukesh, Jagadeesh and Siddique were cast in low-budget movies. Sai Kumar remained active in the industry with supporting, character and negative roles in films including In Harihar Nagar, Saandram, Makkal Mahalmyam, Griha Pravesam and Ayushkalam. The sequel to Ramji Rao Speaking; Mannar Mathai Speaking was a blockbuster of 1995. This time Mukesh played the lead role. His villain role in Mammootty's 1996 blockbuster Hitler was noted. This earned him the reputation of acting the intelligent villain. Sai Kumar's real talent was shown once again in the year 2004 in the film Sethuramayyar CBI. He wisely recreated the sound modulation and mannerisms of actor Sukumaran, because the character which Sai Kumar had done was the son of "Inspector Devadas" in the film Oru CBI Diary Kurippu.
Sai Kumar's golden period started in the late 1990s. He was cast in the super hit Aaraam Thampuran by Shaji Kailas where he played the close friend of hero acted by the Malayalam film star Mohanlal. Then he became the inevitable ingredient of all the superstar movies. He played villain to Mohanlal in Narasimham (2000), Thandavam (2002) and Chathurangam (2002). His prominence was evident from the posters of Thandavam, where his pictures were printed the same size as Mohanlal's. In movies such as Valliettan and Vesham he played villain to Mammootty. In the Dileep movie Kunjikkoonan (2002), he appeared in a completely different get-up of a cruel Goonda called Keeri Vasu, which was much acclaimed.
2005 was a very good year for Sai Kumar in which he acted in Rajamanikyam, Mammootty's mega-hit where he played an older man. This made the directors rethink his range of characters. In Suresh Gopi's comeback film Bharathchandran I.P.S., he played the villain. He described the role as an anti-hero, not a villain, since he leads the story in the first 45 minutes until Suresh Gopi appears. He also played the supporting role as DYSP Pothen in the Suresh Gopi hit The Tiger.
He lent his voice for Sathyaraj in Aagathan and also dubbed for Thiagarajan in Thilakkam.
In 2007, he won accolades for his performance as a Kathakali artist and the father of a highly talented but ailing son in Anandabhairavi. Director Vinayan described him as talented as Mohanlal, which is the best compliment for his acting abilities.
Awards
2007 — Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for Anandabhairavi 2015 — Asianet Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Ennu Ninte Moideen 2008 — Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Malayalam for Anandabhairavi
Partial filmography
Malayalam films 1970s & 80s Year Title Role Notes1977 Vidarunna Mottukal Vikraman Child artist1981 Kathayariyathe Shaji 1982 Ithum Oru Jeevitham Kuttan 1989 Ramji Rao Speaking Balakrishnan Debut film in a leading roleNagapanchami
1990s Year Title Role Notes1990 Purappad ShivanAnnakutty Kodambakkam Vilikunnu Chandy Kunju Sunday 7.P.M Williams Rajavazhcha Vijayaraghavan Orukkam Freddy In Harihar Nagar Andrews Kuruppinte Kanakku Pustakom GirishEe Kannikoodi Ravindran Anantha Vruthantham Ananthan Oliyambukal Thampi ThoovalsparshamVinod Saandhram Unni Ananthanum Appukkuttanum Aanayundu 1991Kakkathollayiram RaviBhoomika RaviKadalorakattu Vijayan Kilukkampetti Raju Agni Nilavu DileepVacation Souhridham RajmohanOru Tharam Randu Tharam Moonu Tharam Suresh Thudar Katha Vishnu Narayanan Khanta Kavyam Arangu Xavier Robert PereiraVasudha Apoorvam Chilar Dr. Suresh WarrierMay Dinam Martin Irikku M. D. Akathundu Suresh 1992 Maanthrika Cheppu Sabu Cheriyan Makkal Mahatmiyam Krishnankutty Satyaprathinja Kasarkode Kadarbhai Sreenivasa MenonNeelakurukkan Ezhara Ponnana Balan Pramanikal Sooryachakram Vasudha Congratulations Miss Anitha Menon Ellarum Chollanu DasuttyAayushkalam Alex Oru Kochu Bhoomikulukkam Adv. Abdul Salim1993 Ghoshayathra Abdu Kulapathy Journalist Venu Injakkadan Mathai & Sons Chamayam Charlie Easwaramoorthy IN SI Ramesh/Hari1994 Kambolam Royachan Paalayam Arun Pidakkozhi Koovunna Noottandu Binoy Vishwam Gothram 1995 Mannar Mathai Speaking Balakrishnan Thriumanassu Nandan Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Njanum Mahadevan 1996 Kireedamillatha Rajakkanmar MathewsHitler Nandakumar 1997 Bhoopathi Sasi Varma Snehasindooram RajathanthramRameshan Asuravamsam Bobby Sibiram Xavier Vamsam Kurishinkal Vavachan Janadhipathyam K. Gopinatha Menon Aaram Thampuran Nandakumar1998 Samantharagal a political leaderAlibabayum Ararakallanmarum MLA Jose Parakkan Nakshatratharattu JayanMayilpeelikkavuShankaran The Truth DYSP JohnAyushman Bava PrakashAaghosham 1999 Ustaad Giri Stalin SivadasCommissioner Sarath Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum Thomas ChackoVazhunnor Parakkadan Aloshy The GodmanMP JayadevanAngene Oru AvadhikkalathuBabuPallavur Devanarayanan Zachariah IndependenceRaghavan (CM)Aayiram Meni Bharathan Jananayakan Eliyas 2000s Year Title Role Notes2000 NarasimhamManappally Sudheeran IPS Life Is Beautiful Suraj's fatherNeelathadakathile Nizhalpakshikal Punaradivasam Valliettan Patteri Sivaraman Nair Summer Palace VaravaayVijayachandran Daivathinte Makan Peter Dada Sahib Mohammad Kutty 2001 Karumadikkuttan Nandini's fatherRakshasa RajavADGP Gomas AlexanderRavanaprabhu Unni Nagaravadhu Narendra Babu Agraharam Suryachakram Unnathangalil Antony 2002 Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan Rajasekhara Varma Krishnapakshakilikal KunjikoonanVasuShivam Medayil Devarajan Thandavam Sankar DasVidesi Nair Swadesi Nair Sivapal Chathurangam K.C. Korah Nandanam Ramadasan Ente Hridhayathinte Udama Rajeevan 2003 Vasanthamallika Varadarajan Pattalam Vishwanathan Mizhi Randilum R. P The Kingmaker Leader Varghese Janakeeyam Ravi War and Love Maj. Prabhakaran Ammakilikkoodu Sidharth 2004 Sethurama Iyer CBI Sathya Das Sasneham Sumithra DYSP Sathyadas, son of retd. DYSP Devadas Kerala House Udan Vilpanakku Mahendran Kondody Udayam Kochu Varkey Koottu Vishwambharan Agninakshathram Swami Thalamelam C.R. Dasan Mayilattam Thevar ThudakkamJacob Mathew I.A.SVesham Sivan 2005 Finger Print Prathapa VarmaChandrolsavam Karunakaran Viralthumbilaaro Pauran Gopalji Bharathchandran I.P.S. Haidar Ali Hassan Naran Inspector Ayyappan MenonOK Chacko Cochin Mumbai CI Ramanathan Manikyan Rajamanikyam Rajarathnam Pillai Mayookham Indira's father The Tiger DYSP Joseph Pothan 2006LionPavithran Parayam The Speed Track Doctor Achante Ponnumakkal Rashtram Nooruddin Chinthamani KolacaseKannai Parameshwaran Balram vs. Tharadas AshwaroodanManikoth Marthandan Prajapathi M. L. A. KuttikrishnanChess Krishnadas Keerthi Chakra DuttaAanachandam Anirudhan Bhargavacharitham Moonnam Khandam Ramanathan Mahha SamudramMLA Sebastian Pathaka Faruk Sha The Don Advocate Subrahmaniam Swami Pothan VavaSivankutty Chakkara Muthu Police OfficerYes Your HonourIsaac Samuel Baba Kalyani Isa Muhammad Haji 2007MaayaviAaranimuttom Sivasankaran Pillai DetectiveJames Joseph Payum Puli JosettanAnandabhairavi Vasudeva PanikkerChotta Mumbai Phylwan Michael AshanTime Koshy Abraham Koshy SooryanHarinarayanan Ayur Rekha Venugopal Flash Menon2008RoudramSethu Madhavan/Sethu Mohan Das Chithrasalabhangalude Veedu CycleDYSP SurendranKanichukulangarayil CBI Ajith Positive Bhaskar, City Police Commissioner Madambi Madhava Menon MinnaminnikkoottamCharulatha's father Mayakazhcha Narendran MayabazarSimon Joseph Twenty:20 Minister Mathai 2009Black Dahlia SirajuddinDaddy Cool Shiva PrasadPuthiya Mukham Mahi Meghatheertham Balunarayana Swamy Shudharil Shudhan Joseph Sanmanasullavan Appukuttan Dr. Mukerji Dalamarmarangal Pratapan Utharaswayamvaram Dr. Thomas Paul 2010s Year Title Role Notes2010Drona Yugapurushan Ringtone Krishna BhatThanthonni David Lopez Alexander The Great Prathapa VarmaKutty SrankUnnithan Inganeyum OralBalachandra Menon Sakudumbam Shyamala Vasudevan Anwar Ahmed HajiNizhal Thoovalkattu Hajiyar2011TrafficDr. Saifudeen Ithu Nammude Katha Christian Brothers Captain Varghese Mappila August 15 the Party SecretaryManikyakkallu the District Education OfficerLucky Jokers Surya VarmaKunjettan Azhakkadal Vazhapilly Anthony TharakanVeeraputhran Hassan KoyaKathayile Nayika Innanu Aa Kalyanam Sulochanan Pillai2012MastersAdvocate Narayanan Thambi The King & the Commissioner Swami Veerabhadra Chandramouliswaran Maharaj Mallu SinghGovindan Kutty Ezham Suryan Vazhakode Unnikrishnan Namboodiri Nadabrahmam Cinema Company SimhasanamChandragiriyill Madhava Menon Run Baby RunBharathan Pillai Vaidooryam Bhadran My BossThekkepurakkal Prabhakara Varma Ardhanaari Vinayan's FatherKarmayodha ACP Eappen Devassy2013Lokpal Manuel Black Ticket Gabriel Cowboy Rajashekhar MenonSound ThomaPlapparambil Paulo Mazhavillinattam Vare the Theyyam artistRebecca Uthup Kizhakkemala Uthup Blackberry Commissioner Kurian Joseph IPS Careebeyans Natarajan For Sale Joseph Nadodimannan CM Thomas Chacko 2014Mannar Mathai Speaking 2 Balakrishanan Ring Master Elizabeth's husbandMr. FraudIntelligence DySP Sajan Parayan Bakki Vechathu Bad Boys Mylanchi Moonchulla Veedu Narayana Kurup GarbhasreemanDr.Ravishankar2015MiliPrabhakaran Nair Ammakkoru Tharattu Ennu Ninte Moideen Unni Moideen Sahib 2016PavadaJoseph Sahapadi 1975 Jacobinte SwargarajyamPhilipDooram Paulettante Veedu Angane Thanne Nethave Anjettennam Pinnale James & Alice Davis ThekkeparambilShikhamani Sub-Inspector P.K. Ashok2017Puthan PanamChandrababuHistory of JoyAndrewsRamaleelaSakhavu P. SugathanVedhamVillainDr. Ram Kumar2018' KoodashaAanakkallanParaykal ThomasTheetta RappaiKrishnamBalakrishnanChanakya ThanthramRam MohanOrayiram KinakkalalLalaji2019Mr & Ms RowdyVarghese MappilaLuciferMahesha VarmaMoonam Pralayam 1948 Kaalam Paranjathu Pattabhiraman Chengannur ThampuranSubharathriUmmerMy SantaKuttoosan 2020s