Sathyan Anthikad

Sathyan Anthikad—yeah, that guy, he’s practically a legend if you’ve ever dipped your toes into Malayalam cinema. Born smack in the middle of Thrissur, Kerala, way back in ’55 (which, let’s be honest, feels like another universe now), he’s the kind of director who somehow captures the chaos and charm of Kerala households without making it look forced. People throw around words like “veteran” and “icon,” but with Sathyan, those labels don’t feel overused for once. He’s the mastermind behind movies like Njan Prakashan (2018), which, if you haven’t seen, is this hilarious but kinda biting look at the modern Malayali dreamer—think ambition, self-doubt, and a whole lot of sneaky satire about society’s obsession with working abroad. Then there’s Thooval Kottaram from ’96, which still pops up in family WhatsApp groups every now and then—classic Sathyan, mixing up warmth, nostalgia, and a bit of low-key heartbreak with that signature humor. Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999) is another banger, all about family messiness, generational clashes, and those tiny, everyday dramas that somehow feel monumental when you’re in them. Outside the movies, he’s got a pretty chill personal life—married to Nimmi Sathyan, just keeping it low-key. Folks say he’s got this knack for making even the simplest stories feel relatable, with characters who might as well be your next-door neighbors. Basically, if you want to get the heartbeat of Kerala on screen, you can’t really skip Sathyan Anthikad.