Jayaram

Jayaram Subramaniam (born 10 December 1964), known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Sanskrit films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasional playback singer. Jayaram has acted in more than 200 films and received several awards, including the Padma Shri, two Kerala State Film Awards, two Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, one South Indian International Movie Awards, four Filmfare Awards South and seven Asianet Film Awards. He became one of the stars of the Malayalam film industry through the film Meleparambil Aanveedu (1993) which was directed by Rajasenan.

Jayaram started as a mimicry artist at the Kalabhavan Institute during the 1980s. He made his acting debut in a leading role in Padmarajan's 1988 film Aparan. He established himself as a successful leading actor in the 1990s by starring in family dramas and comedies—such as Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989), Shubhayathra (1990), Sandhesam (1991), Georgootty C/O Georgootty (1991), Malootty (1992), Ayalathe Adheham (1992), Meleparambil Aanveedu (1993), CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. (1994), Puthukkottayile Puthumanavalan (1995), Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava (1995), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu (1997), Summer in Bethlehem (1998), Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999), One Man Show (2001), and Manassinakkare (2003).

The 2000 Tamil film Thenali won him five Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Jayaram won his first Kerala State Film Award, the Special Jury Award, for his performance in Thooval Kottaram (1996). He won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his performance in Swayamvara Panthal (2000). Jayaram won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor three times, for his performances in Thooval Kottaram (1996), Theerthadanam (2001), and Manassinakkare (2003). In 2011, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the country for his contributions to the Indian film industry.