Vinayakan is an Indian actor, former dancer, and composer who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil language films. He started his career with a cameo appearance in the 1995 film Maanthrikam. Vinayakan won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in the year 2016 for his leading role of Ganga in Rajiv Ravi's Kammatipaadam. His recognized roles include Edakochi Dude in Aadu - Oru Bheegara Jeevi Aanu and its successor film Aadu 2, and as Ayyappan in Lijo Jose Pellissery's Ee.Ma.Yau. He achieved wider attention by playing the antagonist Varman in Nelson Dilipkumar's Tamil-language action thriller film Jailer (2023) starring Rajinikanth.

Career

Acting

Vinayakan began his career as a dancer and had a dance troupe named Black Mercury with Fire dance being his forte. Director Thampi Kannanthanam introduced him in Maanthrikam and later in Onnaman. He was noticed for his performances in Stop Violence, Vellithira, Chathikkatha Chanthu, Chotta Mumbai and Thottappan. Also, he appeared in a couple of Bollywood movies. Vinayakan was appreciated for his performance as Ganga in Rajeev Ravi' s 2016 film Kammatipaadam, and nominated for a national award. It also brought him the Best Actor Award of the Kerala State Film Awards, The North American Film Award for Outstanding performance in a film and Best Actor Award (2016) of the Cinema Paradiso Club Cine Awards. In the same film, he made his debut as a music director. Ee.Ma.Yau. was included in The Hindu's top 25 Malayalam films of the decade and is widely regarded as one of the defining movies of the New Wave Movement. His upcoming projects include Gautham Vasudev Menon's Dhruva Natchathiram:Chapter One - Yuddha Kaandam.

Music

Vinayakan composed the song "Puzhu Pulikal" for the movie ''Kammatipaadam. He has also composed the music for the title track of Trance'' (2020). He has also sung songs for Rafi's film Role Models and another one for Ordinary, Sugeeth's movie''. ''

Controversies

On July 2023, Vinayakan publicly shamed late Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy through Facebook live. Actor faced public criticism and death threats for this rude behaviour. On 24 October, 2023, he was arrested for creating a ruckus at the Ernakulam Town North police station in Kochi. The incident was from a family dispute and he was later released on bail after a medical examination. MLA of Thrikkakara, Uma Thomas, publicly criticized the quick release, suggesting it was related to Vinayakan's political associations On 07 September 2024, Vinayakan was taken into custody by Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Police in Hyderabad following an altercation with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) gate staff. He was reportedly under the influence of alcohol during the incident. Security officials affirmed he arrived in Hyderabad in a visibly drunken state on an Indigo flight from Kochi and was to travel to Goa, before his arrest.

Filmography

Malayalam

Tamil

Other languages

Awards