He was born in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, in the Southern part of India on 21st May 1960.

In picture a room that I have never seen, that of his childhood, youth hot as it would be in the southern part of India, in a coffee house sitting around the table is a group of young energetic BCom. students of MG College. The passion for cinema was driving them. They didn't have any experience and no prospect but had the will to do it and thus they formed a company called 'Bharath Cine Group'.

 

The lights are on 'Thiranottam'. On the screen is our own Prince Lal. The clapboard held afront, lal is infront of the camera. "Lights Camera Action..." and it got rolling on the 4th day of September 1978 at 11.30 AM on Kesavadev Road, in front of lal's house in Mudavanmugal. The team includes Suresh Kumar, Unni, Priyan, S Kumar, Ashok Kumar and more. But then, money that is what they didn't have. The location was Lal's Mudavinmugal house, Suresh's house and the surroundings. Lal was in the role of a mentally retarded servent named 'Kuttappan'. Somehow they completed the movie but the censer board stood against their hard work.  They stopped the release by saying that it contains some scenes which is not acceptable... But they somehow managed to get special sanction from the Indian President and they released the movie in a theatre at Kollam. They didn't givenup by their first experience. Passion for cinema was in them for they arranged some money from a financer and started off for Madras by train.
 

 

Yes it was their first journey to Madras. They were welcomed by the great city and was at Room No:3 of the famous Swamy's Lodge. But things were not smooth. It was a big city infront of them wide open to the cinema world.

 

One morning they were casually going through the Malayala Manorama daily when they sighted an ad for new faces in a malayalam movie. Why don't we give a try. Lal took a couple of snaps at the near by studio. He looked at them. He was never convinced with his photos and decided not to apply. He said with a sigh "It is not my baby...". "You don't have to invent a face for yourselves, you have one" said Suresh, upon learning the story of him not applying because the photo was bad. Suresh well aware of Lal's capabilities as an actor, send that photos to the addressed without Lal's knowledge.

 

The next day lal received a telegram asking him to attend an interview. He was infront of Fazil, Sibimalayil, Jijo etc., where he showed his abilities. Fazil noticed him. Yes he was the villan whom they where looking for.

 

The panel decided to call him and thus he made his first appearence in Fazil's "Manjil Virinja Pookkal" in the beautiful land of Kodaikkanal. The movie was a great success. Baskets of flowers were showered upon this great movie. Everyone played their part well but one said:"Take a look at this villan my friends, he will become a great actor one day".

 

Now the frame shifts to a cool morning of 1986, that day the sunrise bring a new news to us malayalees.

 

"The news about the birth of a Prince"

 

The crowning of the Prince was on the previous day when the all time super megahit 'Rajavinte Makan' was released. After that day he never looked back.

 

State Awards, National Awards, Padmasree... what's next...?

 

Once during the shooting of Vanaprastham a French Technician said: "He is the man born in the wrong side of the world; if he is in some other country he may already got the OSCAR AWARD." No he was wrong, we know that the country is not a constraint for him, he already reached the  Cannes Festival.  

 

Now we know what next....