Dileep (actor)

Dileep (actor)

Dileep (born Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai on 27 October 1968) is an Indian film actor, impressionist and producer. He has starred in more than a 100 Malayalam films, best known for his comic performances.

Dileep started his film career as an assistant director to Kamal with the film Vishnu Lokam (1991). He was quite popular with the masses for his impressionist stage shows and the Comicola television comedy series on Asianet. His role as Dilip in Manathe Kottaram (1994) paved way to his acting career. Films such as Sallapam (1996), Ee Puzhayum Kadannu (1997), Punjabi House (1998), and Udayapuram Sulthan (1999) established Dileep's status as a prominent actor during the late-1990s.

Dileep started off the 2000s with commercially successful films such as Joker (2000), Thenkasipattanam (2000), Ishtam (2001), and Ee Parakkum Thalika (2001). The blockbuster status of Meesa Madhavan (2002) established Dileep as a bankable star. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his role as Madhavan. He won his first Kerala State Film Award (Special Jury) for his performance in Kunjikoonan (2002). He ventured into production, and produced and starred in C.I.D. Moosa (2003) under the banner Grand Productions. Kathavasheshan (2004) won Dileep the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film as a producer.

Dileep won his third Kerala State Film Award (Special Jury) for his performance in Chanthupottu (2005), and has since starred in several critical and commercial successes, including Thilakkam (2003), Perumazhakkalam (2004), Runway (2004), Pandippada (2005), Kochi Rajavu (2005), Lion (2006), Vinodayathra (2007), Calcutta News (2008), Passenger (2009), Kaaryasthan (2010), Marykkundoru Kunjaadu (2010), Christian Brothers (2011) and Mayamohini (2012). Dileep has thus established himself as one of the most successful actors of Malayalam cinema.

In 2008, under the banner of Grand Productions, Dileep produced Twenty:20 by casting most of the mainstream actors of Malayalam cinema. He produced the multi-starrer in order to raise funds for the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). It went on to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all-time. His production house has produced other films such as Malarvaadi Arts Club (2010) and The Metro (2011).