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Meet Mollywood's top actor who was accused in the actress assault case, is a mimicry artist turned producer
Read on to learn about an actor who once started his career as an impressionist in stage shows, making a big name for himself, and was accused in an actress’ assault case.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse.
Today, let’s talk about the actor from the Malayalam film industry who is often lauded for his comedic timing in leading roles and has a wide range of films to his name. The actor also known for being a producer and businessman, once married to a popular actress who has worked with stars like Ajith Kumar and Rajinikanth.
Yes, we are talking about Malayalam actor Dileep who has been an integral part of Malayalam cinema since the early 1990s, widely known for his comic timing and skillful humor. Let’s take a quick look at his filmography over the years and his personal life.
Dileep’s cinematic career:
Dileep whose actual name is Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan is widely known for his acting ventures in Malayalam cinema. The actor started his career as a performer in stage shows using the skills of an impressionist aka mimic. With his skills as a mimicry artist, he was later roped into playing a role in the television comedy series Comicola on Asianet.
This led to him becoming a popular face amongst the audience which even led him to feature in the series’ successor Cinemala. However, the actor’s tryst with mainstream cinema began when he started working as an assistant director to popular director Kamal in Malayalam cinema.
Working in films with the director, he initially started appearing in minor roles in Kamal’s movies which started with a small scene in the film, Ennodu Ishtam Koodamo in 1992. It was director Kamal who also started to recommend Dileep’s name to other directors.
By the end of the 1990s, the actor had appeared in various lead roles and even played negative roles too. Especially with films like Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, Sallapam, and Punjabi House, the actor solidified his prominence in Malayalam cinema.
Check out a song from Punjabi House:
With the advent of the 2000s, the hit-spree of Dileep surely started off into something else with each movie after another becoming a hit and memorable. His portrayal of Madhavan in the 2002 movie Meesha Madhavan developed a whole new cult following for the actor, catapulting him into stardom. In the subsequent year, the actor appeared in his most celebrated and much-beloved slapstick comedy film CID Moosa.
During this period, Dileep had iterated his significance in Malayalam cinema, even becoming a producer and bankrolling the film Twenty: 20. A movie that featured every actor in the Malayalam film industry who was a member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), including stars like Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, and more in a single film.
Watch a song from CID Moosa here:
Over time, the actor has featured in various films in the Malayalam industry and even produced a variety of them. In his illustrious career in films, the actor has even bagged the Kerala State Film Awards with his movies Kunjikoonan, Kathavasheshan (as producer), Chanthupottu (Special Mention), and Vellaripravinte Changathi.
Interestingly, Dileep had once played a key role in a Tamil movie called Raajjiyam back in 2002 which had Captain Vijayakanth in the lead role. Additionally, it was also Dileep who voiced Shahid Kapoor’s dumb portions in the 2006 movie Chup Chup Ke, directed by Priyadarshan. The movie was the remake of Dileep’s blockbuster hit flick Punjabi House.
Dileep’s personal life:
Dileep was born on October 27, 1967, in Edavanakad, a suburb in the district of Kochi. Being the eldest of three children, the actor also has a younger brother and sister named Anoop and Sabitha. The actor’s education also took place in Ernakulam where he even pursued a degree in History.
On October 20, 1998, Dileep married actress Manju Warrier with both of them sharing a daughter named Meenakshi who was born in 2000. However, the couple’s marriage had ended in divorce by 2014 which was granted by the court, subsequently the next year. On November 25, 2016, Dileep got into the wedding knot once again with actress Kavya Madhavan with whom the actor had appeared in various films. By 2018, the couple welcomed their daughter Mahalakshmi.
Furthermore, Dileep got caught up in a controversy when on June 28, 2017, the actor was interrogated by the Kerala police for abduction and sexual assault of a popular Malayalam actress. Later, on July 10, the actor was arrested by the police for alleged conspiracy, with several film organizations revoking his membership and even political parties vandalizing his business institutions.
In October 2017, the actor was released from jail on conditional bail by the Kerala High Court. In 2018, the actor filed a petition in court accusing Kerala police of framing him and asking the case be handed over to the CBI.
Cut to 2021, director Balachandra Kumar alleged that Dileep had been trying to turn the witnesses hostile and attack the investigating police officers. Regarding these claims, the Kerala police charged a new conspiracy case against him for which he and the other accused had gained anticipatory bail. As of now, cases against the actor have been put on hold.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, or NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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