Nedumudi Venu is an accomplished Malayalam actor who has portrayed numerous character/supporting roles with marvelous perfection.He is recipient of National Film Award for best supporting actor besides many other Awards.
Nedumudi Venu was born at Nedumudi in Alleppey District of Kerala State on May 22, 1948 to Parents P.K.Kesavan Nair and Kunjikutty Amma.His father was a school teacher and Nedumudi Venu is one among his five children.He was interested and involved in all cultural activities at School and at College level.After getting a degree from Kerala University, he worked as a journalist for ‘Kalakaumudi’ magazine and during that period he worked as a teacher in a tutorial college.He used to act in stage plays in those period when he shifted to Thiruvananthapuram and got opportunity to act in plays of famous dramatist and poet ‘Kavalam Narayanapanicker’.He was also lucky to make friendship with prominent people like ‘Director Bharathan,Writer/Director P.Padmarajan,Writer/Actor.Narendra Prasad‘ etc.Thus he got chance to act in the film‘Thambu‘ directed by G.Aravindan in the year 1979.
He portrayed the Supporting role as ‘Chellappanasari’ in the film ‘Thakara’ which was directed by Bharathan in 1979.Prathap Pothen,Nedumudi Venu,Surekha,KPAC Lalitha etc acted in this film in which Nedumudi Venu handled a key role.His role as Chellappanasari contaminates the innocent character Thakara’s mind who had brotherly love towards Subhashini (Surekha) like a crystal clear stream.
He depicted the role of the stenographer ‘Xavier’ in the film ‘Vidaparayum Munpe’ as an innocent orphan who loves and do good to all but was a Cancer patient which he did not reveal to anybody.The manager of his company came to know about this when Xavier fell seriously ill.Prem Nazir,Lakshmi,Innocent,Nedumudi etc acted in it which was directed by Mohan.
He portrayed roles as a youth in the films like ‘Palangal,Ente Mohangal Poovaninju,Ponnum Poovum,Thenum Vayambum,Parankimala‘ etc in those periods.
In the film ‘Kallan Pavithran‘ he acted in the title role along with ‘Adoor Bhasi,Bharath Gopi,Beena’ etc.
In the film ‘Enikku Visakkunnu‘ directed by P.Bhaskaran in 1982 he was in the main role as a mentally retarded person.
Nedumudi Venu and Pallavi Joshi were the main pair of the film ‘Theertham'(87) directed by Mohan which was written by Nedumudi.The theme was about a Brahmin alcoholic youth who behaves irresponsibly towards his innocent wife.Surasu,Innocent,Thilakan,KPAC Sunny,Babu Nampoothiri etc were the other actors.
He started to play characters of elderly persons from that period itself and he possessed inherent skills to portray such characters with immense perfection.
Even though his inception to the cinema field was by depicting young characters he soon dared to shift to elderly roles with ravishing style and perfection which suited them utmost.He possess the shrewdness to differentiate the exact mannerism of the character to be depicted and behaves exactly in that way as if real so that the audience feel and gets the repletion of those characters same as that was intended by the writer and director.
Nedumudi Venu proved his ability to play character as a school teacher in many films such as‘Doore Doore Oru Koodu Koottam,Oru Minnaminunginte Nurungu Vettam’ etc.He received Kerala State Award as Best Actor for the film ‘Oru Minnaminunte Nurungu Vettam’ in 1987 which was directd by Bharathan.
He is excellent to portray characters with a comedy touch which he has proved in several films like ‘Chithram,Thenmavin Kombathu‘ and many more.
This versatile actor has proved his unparalleled capability to act in serious and sentimental emotional roles also.
He acted well noted roles in many Mohan Lal films directed by Priya Darshan like ‘Thalavattam,Mukundetta Sumithra Vilikkunnu,Vandanam,Chithram,Thenmavin Kombathu‘ etc
His depiction of the demagogic character as ‘Maharajah’ in ‘His Highness Abdulla’earned accolades.Maharajah Udaya Varma who was a good man at heart was surrounded by a group of relatives who all wanted his wealth and designed a plan to kill him.But Abdulla, the Killer disguised as Ananthan Nampoothiri when happened to know more about him from Udaya Varma himself Abdulla changed his mind and could not perform that crime.The film was directd by Sibi Malayil. Nedumudi Venu received National Award for Best Supporting actor for this role.
His role as ‘Haridas’s (Vineeth) father in the film ‘Sargam’ as the Carnatic music Guru earned accolades.
In the film ‘Bharatham’directed by Sibi Malayil he depicted the Carnatic music exponent Kalloor Ramanathan, an alcoholic person.He received Kerala State Special Jury Award in 1990 for this role.
He was the family head ‘Thampi’ (karanavar) in the film ‘Manichitrathazhu’ in 1993 in which Mohan Lal,Shobhana,Innocent Ganesh Kumar,KPAC Lalitha etc acted.
In the film ‘Thenmavin Kombath‘ he earned the appreciation and love of all audience as the character ‘Sreekrishnan’.Mohan Lal,Shobhana,Sreenivasan,Kaviyoor Ponnamma etc acted in this blockbuster film which was directed by Priyadarshan.
In the super hit film ‘Devasuram‘ directed by I.V.Sasi in which Mohan Lal and Revathy acted in main roles he played the role of Appu Master.
In the film ‘Balettan‘ directed by V.M.Vinu as the father of Mohan Lal he depicted nice acting skill as a man who struggles to keep the secret of having another wife and children.
In the year 2010 he played wonderful acting skill in the film‘Elsamma Enna Aankutty’ which was directed by Lal Jose.The role as ‘Kunnel Pappachan’ received Best Supporting actor award from Asianet.
In 2013 he received best character actor award from Asianet for the spectacular portrayal of the Character as a Veteran Politician in the film ‘North 24 Katham’directed by Anil Radhakrishnan.Fahadh Fazil,Nedumudi Venu,Swathi Reddy,Geetha etc acted in this film in which Nedumudi Venu played with unbelievable conviction as if real.
From his age of 30’s itself his sterling performance as age old persons, quite natural as it could be with proper controlled voice modulation received appreciation from all audience.His acting skill is compared to ‘Kodumudi’ (mountain peak) even by some legendary actors.
He received National Supporting actor award in 1990,National Special Jury award in 2003,National award for Voice over in 2006 for a non feature film.
He got second Best Actor Kerala State award in 1980,Kerala State Best actor award in 1981,Kerala State Best actor award in 2003.,Kerala State Best actor award in 1987,Kerala State Special Jury Award in 1990,Kerala State Second Best Actor award in 1994
He received several other awards from several prestigious organisations like Kerala Film Critics Association,Asianet and so on.
He wrote stories of films ‘Kattathe Kilikkoodu,Oru Kadamkasha Pole,Pandu Pandoru Rajakumari,Sruthy,Theertham and Ambada Njane.He wrote Screenplay and dalogues for the film ‘Thaniye’ , and Story and screenplay for the film ‘Angane Oru Avadykalathu’.
He directed the Malayalam film ‘Pooram‘.
He is married to T.R.Susheela and have two children.
Selected Filmography
Malayalam
Thambu
Thakara
Aravam
Manjil Virinja Pookkal
Parangimala
Palangal
Kallan Pavithran
Yavanika
Enikku Visakkunnu
Ganam
Kattile Pattu
Ente Mohangal Poovaninju
Onnu Chirikku
Asthram
Eettillam
Akkare
Kinnaram
Rachana
Ente Upasana
Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu
Orukudakeezhil
Oridathoru Phayalwan
Guruji Oru Vakku
Meenamasathile Sooryan
Thalavattam
Sughamo Devi
Pappan Priyapetta Pappan
Panchagni
Cheppu
Swathi Thirunal
Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam
Vaishali
Isabella
Mukundetta Sumithra Vilikkunnu
Achuvettante Veedu
His Highness Abdulla
Dr.Pasupathy
Veanal
Uncle Bun
Bharatham
Savidham
Sargam
Champakkulam Thachan
Sadayam
Aham
Vietnam Colony
Midhunam
Manichithrathazhu
Kabuliwala
Thenmavin Kombathu
Pavithram
Alamcherry Thambrakkal
Nirnayam
Kazhakam
Devaragam
Kalapani
Oru Yathramozhi
Karunyam
Guru
Churam
Chandralekha
Sundara Killadi
Devadasi
Pranaya Nilavu
Megham
Mr.Butler
Life Is beautiful
Susanna
Dada Sahib
Kakkakuyil
Ishtam
Thilakkam
Arimpara
Margam
Vismayathumpathu
Mampazhakkalam
Thanmathra
Ananthabhadram
Nottam
Love in Singapore
Bhagyadevatha
Elsamma Enna Aankutty
Malarvady Arts Club
Teja Bhai & Family
August 15
The King & The Commissioner
Gramam
Puthiya Theerangal
Money back policy
Sound Thoma
Nadodimannan
North 24 Katham
Memories
Munnariyippu
Tamil
Mogamul
Indian
Annyan
Poi Solla Porom
Salambattam