Dileesh Pothan

Dileesh Pothan, man, what a wild ride he’s had in Malayalam cinema. He’s not just your run-of-the-mill director—he’s one of those rare gems who’s basically redefined what storytelling means in this industry. He kicked things off as an associate director back in 2010 with 9 KK Road, and from there, he just kept hustling, working under Aashiq Abu for a handful of films. Funny thing, he even popped up as an actor in Salt N’ Pepper in 2011—just a blink-and-miss cameo, but hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere. Now? The guy’s got 40-plus acting credits under his belt. Not too shabby. But where he really turned heads was with his directorial debut, Maheshinte Prathikaaram, in 2016. That movie? Straight-up changed the game. It snagged the Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the National Awards, and honestly, it deserved every bit of it. The story, the vibe, the characters—everything just clicked. Dileesh walked off with a Filmfare Best Director trophy too. And then, he just kept swinging for the fences. Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum dropped in 2017, again with Fahadh Faasil in the lead. Another knockout—critics loved it, audiences loved it, and yeah, it bagged another National Award. Joji, his third directorial, landed on Amazon Prime in 2021, and once again, people couldn’t stop raving. If that wasn’t enough, Dileesh jumped into producing with Kumbalangi Nights, which has already reached cult status, and he’s backing Thankam too. The guy’s everywhere, and honestly, Malayalam cinema’s all the better for it.