Kunchacko Boban

1997–2006

Boban was introduced into the Malayalam film industry by versatile director Fazil. His debut movie Aniathipravu (1997), co-starring Shalini, and directed by Fazil^[7] was a blockbuster hit.

Kunchacko Boban's performance as Sudhi, the lead character was well-received by young audiences and families. He became an instant teenage heartthrob after his first film. The Boban-Shalini pair was considered a lucky pair in the late nineties. Following the success of Aniathipravu, Boban was cast in movies such as Nakshathrathaarattu, Mayilpeelikkavu and Niram (1999). Then came Priyam. His performances in the hit movies Kasthooriman^[8] and Swapnakkoodu^[9] were also appreciated by critics.

He played a cameo in Fazil's Harikrishnans, which marked the reunion of Mohanlal and Mammootty after nine years. Then came Chandamama and he went on to do Ingane Oru Nilapakshi, Prem Poojari, Sahayathrikakku Snehapoorvam etc.

After movies like Niram, Priyam, Dosth and Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka, his next films included Kasthooriman and Swapnakkoodu. The movie Ee Snehatheerathu earned him a Special Jury Award at the 2004 Kerala State Film Awards.

Kunchacko has been fortunate to work with directors such as Fazil, Kamal, Hariharan, Sathyan Anthikadu, Joshy, Siby Malayil, A. K. Lohithadas, Lal Jose, Rosshan Andrrews, Rajesh Pillai, Dr.Biju etc. Many leading heroines such as Asin, Shalini, Namitha Pramod, Sneha, Ann Augustine and Mamta Kulkarni made their debut in Malayalam with Boban. In 2005, after his marriage, he took a break from movies.

2008–present

Kunchako Boban returned to films in 2008 with a special appearance in a song in Twenty:20 and later acted in Shafi's LollyPop. His real comeback was in the movie Gulumal, directed by popular Ad filmmaker and director V.K. Prakash, which was a surprise hit at the box office.

Gulumal was followed by a string of blockbuster films which established him as one of the most successful actors of the last decade. He played the lead role in popular movies such as Mummy & Me, Sakudumbam Shyamala and Lal Jose's Elsamma Enna Aankutty.

In 2011, he played the central character in the hit movie Traffic. The film's success and wide critical acclaim ushered in a trend that followed in Malayalam cinema, dubbed the "New generation movies". This was followed by Seniors where for the first time he took on a nefative role playing a criminal. In same year he acted in Three Kings, Sevens and Doctor Love. He also won the Youth Icon award at Asianet Film Awards.

In 2012, he was featured in three films, Spanish Masala, Ordinary and Mallu Singh. Ordinary had 10,000 showings in theatres before reaching the 50-day mark and took in over ₹10 crore (US$1.6M, €1.2M, or £1M as of October 2013).^[10]

His 2013 works included Romans and 3 Dots. God for Sale: Bhakthi Prasthanam^[11] and Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum were directed by Lal Jose.^[12] He also appeared in Jamnapyaari (2015), Madhura Naaranga (2015), Vettah (2016), Valleem Thetti Pulleem Thetti (2016) and School Bus (2016).

He has had roles in such movies such as Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal, Kadhaveedu, and Ee Snehatheerathu. Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal, directed by Dr. Biju, was an eye-opener on how the use of endosulfan affected Northern Kerala villages. The film was screened at the United Nations and was also selected for many world-famous film festivals including the Toronto Film Festival, New York Indian Film Festival, and International Film Festival of India. Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal earned the national award for Best Film made on environmental preservation.

In 2016, Boban revamped Udaya Pictures, the iconic Malayalam production house. Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho marked his debut as a producer under this new film outfit. The movie was a hit at the box office.

The year 2017 saw the emergence of Kunchacko Boban the actor. The three films he did namely, Take Off,Ramante Eden Thottam and Varnyathil Aashanka earned him numerous accolades as a mature and versatile actor. Take-Off was a blockbuster as well. It was produced in memory of the late director Rajesh Pillai and earned several awards in State, National and International competitions. The characters of these films earned him the Family Hero award at the Vanitha Film Awards and Best Actor critics award at the Asianet Film Awards.

2018 began with three back-to-back blockbusters with Kunchacko as the Super Hit Hero.Shikkari Shambhu,Kuttanadan Marpappa and Panchavarnathatha. All box office hits making him a bankable hero.