Sai Kumar (Malayalam actor)

In 2007, he won accolades for his performance as a Kathakali artist and the father of a highly talented but ailing son in Anandabhairavi. Director Vinayan described him as talented as Mohanlal, which is the best compliment for his acting abilities.

2005 was a very good year for Sai Kumar in which he acted in Rajamanikyam, Mammootty's mega-hit where he played an older man. This made the directors rethink his range of characters. In Suresh Gopi's comeback film Bharathchandran I.P.S., he played the villain. He described the role as an anti-hero, not a villain, since he leads the story in the first 45 minutes until Suresh Gopi appears. He also played the supporting role as DYSP Pothen in the Suresh Gopi hit The Tiger.

The success of the film helped him to earn a lot of opportunities in the next few years. He has done leading roles in a few films such as Sauhradam, Thudarkkatha, Khoshayathra, Anantha Vrithantham, and Thooval Sparsam. But in that age of comedy, he could not make an impact as a hero, while Mukesh, Jagadeesh and Siddique were cast in low-budget movies. Sai Kumar remained active in the industry with supporting, character and negative roles in films including In Harihar Nagar, Saandram, Makkal Mahalmyam, Griha Pravesam and Ayushkalam. The sequel to Ramji Rao Speaking; Mannar Mathai Speaking was a blockbuster of 1995. This time Mukesh played the lead role. His villain role in Mammootty's 1996 blockbuster Hitler was noted. This earned him the reputation of acting the intelligent villain. Sai Kumar's real talent was shown once again in the year 2004 in the film Sethuramayyar CBI. He wisely recreated the sound modulation and mannerisms of actor Sukumaran, because the character which Sai Kumar had done was the son of "Inspector Devadas" in the film Oru CBI Diary Kurippu.

Sai Kumar's golden period started in the late 1990s. He was cast in the super hit Aaraam Thampuran by Shaji Kailas where he played the close friend of hero acted by the Malayalam film star Mohanlal. Then he became the inevitable ingredient of all the superstar movies. He played villain to Mohanlal in Narasimham (2000), Thandavam (2001) and Chathurangam (2001). His prominence was evident from the posters of Thandavam, where his pictures were printed the same size as Mohanlal's. In movies such as Valliettan and Vesham he played villain to Mammootty. In the Dileep movie Kunjikkoonan (2002), he appeared in a completely different get-up of a cruel Goonda called Keeri Vasu, which was much acclaimed.

Sai Kumar started his career in theatre. He was offered the lead role in the film Swathi Thirunal (film), but it was later done by Anant Nag. He made his debut in the blockbuster Ramji Rao Speaking (1989). It was directed by two debutantes, Siddique and Lal (Siddique-Lal), and had debutant actors Sai Kumar and Rekha in the lead. Sai Kumar debuted in cinema in the 1977 film Vidarunna Mottukal as a child artist. He started his career with comedy roles, and gradually moved to character roles. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his performance in the 2007 film Anandabhairavi.