Thomas James, (born 2 March 1986) better known by his stage name Manikuttan, is an Indian actor who works primarily in the Malayalam film industry. He is known for his role as Kayamkulam Kochunni in the 2004 television serial of the same title. He was the part of the Kerala Strikers team in Celebrity Cricket League for several years. He is the title winner of Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 3 in 2021.

Early life

Thomas James was born to James and Eliyamma in Nalumukku a locality near Kudappanakunnu and Peroorkada in Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He attended St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, Pattom, Trivandrum and studied B.Com at Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram.

Career

Acting debut

Manikuttan's acting debut was in the television series Kayamkulam Kochunni, which was aired on Surya TV.

Debut in Malayalam cinema

Manikuttan's debut film was Varnachirakukal. He was the main lead in the campus film Oru Peelekanenta Oormakke taken by Mahatma College, Thiruvananthapuram in 2004. His first film appearance was in the Malayalam film Boyy Friennd (2005), directed by Vinayan. He acted in major movies like Mamangam (2019), Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (2021).

Big Boss Malayalam (Season 3 2021)

In February 2021, Manikuttan entered the third iteration of reality game show Bigg Boss Malayalam hosted by Mohanlal on Asianet channel. He gained wide acceptance among viewers for his performance in the show. The show had been stopped due to the pandemic from its 96th episode, but a winner was selected through voting. On 24 July 2021, Manikkuttan was declared the winner of Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 3 at the Grand Finale conducted at EVP Film City, Chennai. He won the award for being the "Entertainer of the Season".

Filmography

Film

Television

Serials

Other television shows