Murali (Malayalam Actor)

Murali (Malayalam Actor)

Murali (Malayalam: മുരളി, 25 May 1954 - 6 August 2009) was an Indian actor and author. He mainly appeared in Malayalam and Tamil films. He won the National Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a communist freedom fighter and professional weaver in the film Neythukaran (2002). He was also a stage actor and television actor. He was known for his powerful portrayal of character roles, lead roles, and negative roles. His last film was Aadhavan.

Besides acting, he was the chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy from 2006 until his death. He also authored five books, and was also a Sangeetha Nataka Academy award winner. He contested the 1999 Lok Sabha polls as a communist candidate without success. He was also the Director of the CPI(M) promoted television company Malayalam Communications, which runs Malayalam TV channels Kairali TV, People TV and WE TV.

He started his film career playing villain roles and soon turned into a character actor. The 1992 film Aadhaaram, in which he played the lead role, gave a 'break' to his career. The film was well received in the box office and Murali ascended to the status of a star in Malayalam film, which he enjoyed for a couple of years.

He was closely associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).