Emerging from a modest upbringing in Haripad, he finished his early schooling at local institutions before earning an arts degree at T. K. Madhava Memorial College; while still in pre-degree studies, a casting offer launched his entry into cinema. His screen debut arrived in Padmarajan’s 1979 drama Peruvazhiyambalam, a film that secured the National Film Award for Best Feature Film, and he subsequ…
