Mohan Raj

Mohanarajan—most folks know him as Mohan Raj or, if you’re really in the loop, Keerikkadan Jose—was this guy who could walk into a scene and just steal it, no matter how much screen time he actually got. Born and raised in Kanjiramkulam, Thiruvananthapuram, but eventually calling Chennai home, Raj wasn’t just your everyday actor. He actually worked as an assistant enforcement officer before the limelight dragged him in. Wild, right? He mostly played villains, and honestly, he was terrifyingly good at it. Malayalam films were his main playground, but he dipped his toes into Telugu and Tamil too, never one to shy away from a good role. Sure, his first tiny bit was in Moonnam Mura back in ‘88, but everything really took off with Kireedam in ‘89. That’s where he became “Keerikkadan Jose”—and that name just stuck to him like super glue. After Kireedam, though, things got messy. Raj lost his job at the Enforcement Directorate, probably thanks to all the attention from the film world. But he wasn’t the type to just disappear. Years later, after battling it out in court, he actually got his job back in 2010, only to take voluntary retirement five years later. Classic move. Over his wild career, he racked up over 300 films. Not bad for a villain, huh? His last onscreen act was in Rorschach (2022), proving he could still bring that intimidating edge even after decades in the game.