Maniyanpilla Raju

Sudheer Kumar (born 20 April 1955), better known by his stage name Maniyanpilla Raju (Malayalam: മണിയൻപിള്ള രാജു), is an Indian actor and producer who works in Malayalam film industry. His debut film was Mohiniyaattam in 1976. He has played a variety of roles as a character actor, appearing in over 400 films. His stage name was derived from the character he played in the film Maniyanpilla Adhava Maniyanpilla, his break-through role.

Early life Raju was born as the youngest among four in 1955 to Shekharan Nair and Saraswati Amma at Thycaud, Thiruvanathapuram. He has two sisters, Ramani and Radha, and a brother Surendran. He had his primary education from Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thiruvanathapuram. He did his pre-degree in Victory Tutorial College.

Personal life Maniyanpilla Raju married Indira in 1985, and the couple have two sons, Sachin and Niranj. The younger son, Niranj, made his debut in Renjith's Black Butterfly. He wrote a book titled Chirichum Chirippichum containing his memoirs in 2012. In 2019, he opened a restaurant, Be@Kiwizo, in Kannur, which is Kerala's first restaurant to use robots to serve customers.

Filmography As an actor 1970s Year Title Role Notes 1976 Mohiniyaattam Job hunter Light House Thankamma's brother Chirikkudukka 1977 Neethipeedam Aval Oru Devaalayam 1978 Mudramothiram Kuttappan Jayikkaanaay Janichavan Tharakan's sidekick Kanalkattakal Man at mental hospital Kanyaka Mattoru Karnan Thiranottam Aaravam 1979 Maalika Paniyunnavar Ouseph

1980s Year Title Role Notes 1980 Theenalangal Appu Chamaram Raju 1981 Chamayam Theekkali Maniyan Pilla Adhava Maniyan Pilla Maniyan Pilla Tharattu Viswanathan 1982 Football Shivankutty Ithu Njangalude Katha Santhosh Ithiri Neram Othiri Karyam Raghu Bheeman Kattile Pattu Raju Aasha Sunil Kumar Chiriyo Chiri Santhosh 1983 Prem Nazirine Kanmanilla Kidnapper Prasnam Gurutharam Raju Oru Madapravinte Katha Mortuary Jacob Sesham Kazhchayil Pinnilavu Sreedharan Koodevide Shankar 1984 Onnanu Nammal Hari Thathamme Poocha Poocha April 18 Theere Pratheekshikkathe Koottinilamkili Gopan Ivide Thudangunnu Peter Itha Innu Muthal 'Kailasam' Raju Athirathram Anthony Ariyaatha Veethikal Soman Arante Mulla Kochu Mulla Rajappan Adiyozhukkukal Jayarajan 1985 Akalathe Ambili Maniyan Vannu Kandu Keezhadakki Suresh Angadikkappurathu Vasu Nokkethadhoorathu Kannum Nattu Abdu Jeevante Jeevan Prakash Boeing Boeing Kuttappan Aram + Aram = Kinnaram Saravanan Akkare Ninnoru Maran Achuthan Karimpinpoovinakkare Raju 1986 Dheem Tharikida Thom Siva Subrahmaniam Yuvajanotsavam Bhagaval Das Nimishangal Joseph Ithramathram Rajeevan T. P. Balagopalan M. A. Narayankutty Katturumbinum Kathu Kuthu Babu Ponnum Kudathinum Pottu College student Thalavattam Joseph Hello My Dear Wrong Number Ramadasan Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal Alex Ayalvasi Oru Daridravasi Vidyadharan Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu Damu 1987 Poovizhi Vasalile Tamil filmEllavarkkum Nanmakal Sarvakalashala Chakkara P.C. 369 Damodaran Pillai January Oru Orma Narayana Swamy Ithrayum Kaalam Unni Nampoothiri 1988 Vellanakalude Nadu Gopi Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu Ayitham Thankamani Oru Muthassi Katha Abdu Chithram Murugan Aryan Adv. Radhakrishnan Kudumbapuranam Murali 1989 Mahayanam Kireedam Najeeb Adhipan Gopalakrishnan Vandanam Hariharan Iyer Season Kanthi Nair Saab Cadet Chandran Pillai Naduvazhikal Ravi Nocturne Indien Restaurant owner

1990s Year Title Role Notes 1990 Kadathanadan Ambadi Kandasseri Aye Auto Thangu Malayogom Dr. Sudhakaran Kouthuka Varthakal Ramamoorthy His Highness Abdullah Raja Raja Varma Pavam Pavam Rajakumaran Gangadharan Akkare Akkare Akkare Gopi No.20 Madras Mail Hitchcock Kanjikuzhi 1991 Ganamela Kannan Adhwaytham Chithran Nampoothiri Aakasha Kottayile Sultan Murali Anaswaram 1992 Kizhakkan Pathrose Mathai Kudumbasametham Sreedharan Kurup Kallan Kappalil Thanne Adv. Jose Kurien Aham Marfee Markose Vasudha Johnnie Walker Professor Neelakurukkan Thalastaanam Narendran Pillai Ellarum Chollanu Mani Ayalathe Adheham Achuthan Singh 1993 Sthalathe Pradhana Payyans Thankachan Ekalavyan Chandran Vallappuzha Kudumbasneham Chenkol Najeeb Butterflies Krishnan Eradi Paithrukam Mafia Devasuram Bharathan 1994 Ponthan Mada Rudraksham Appu Kudumba Vishesham Prasad M. Nair Commissioner Gopinathan CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. Prem Shankar Minnaram 'Mazhuvan' Manikantan / Lassar Cabinet Razzak 1995 Simhavalan Menon Patrick Spadikam Kunju Mohammad Rajakeeyam Pushpangathan Agnidevan Poojari Potti Kunju Aadyathe Kanmani Dineshan Unnithan Oru Abhibhashakante Case Diary Unni Thampuran 1996 Sathyabhamakkoru Premalekhanam Shambu Mahathma Attorney Koshy Kala Pani Nair Aayiram Naavulla Ananthan Madhavan 1997 Sayaamees Irattakal Asuravamsam Inspector Chandralekha Oru Yathramozhi Aaraam Thampuran Soman Pillai Kannur Bharatheeyam Ullasapoongattu Kuriyachan Lelam Umman Kottappurathe Koottukudumbam Mahadevan Janathipathyam SI Abootty 1998 Aaraam Jaalakam Poothiruvathira Ravil Thirakalkkappuram Anuragakottaram Private Detective Hentry Harikrishnans Kunjikuttan's Advocate Kallu Kondoru Pennu Mohanachandran 1999 F. I. R. CI Gurumoorthy Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu Mulaku Stalin Sivadas Mayor Anto Ustaad Adv. Abraham Pallavur Devanarayanan Manavedathan Nampoothiri The Godman SI Karippetti Marthandan

2000s Year Title Role Notes 2000 Sahayathrikakku Snehapoorvam Narasimham CI Habeeb Swayamvara Panthal S.I Vijayan Sathyameva Jayathe SI George Pilots Venkidi 2001 Sharja To Sharja Sethu Naranathu Thampuran Mohandas Raavanaprabhu Cameo Suryachakram Nariman Moytheen 2002 Thandavam Pushpakumar Chathurangam Alex 2003 Sahodaran Sahadevan Balagopalan Leader Sadasivan 2004 Njan Salperu Ramankutty Sankaran Kottaram Vaidyan Thirumukham Pillai Vamanapuram Bus Route Rajappan Kerala House Udan Vilpanakku Pisharadi Udayam Mayilattam Swaminathan 2005 Chandrolsavam C.I. Sugathan Rajamanikyam Adv. Shivadaas Menon Anandabhadram Police Constable 2006 Prajapathi Kumaran The Don Abdullah Pothan Vava Paulachan 2007 Pranayakalam Chotta Mumbai Adv. Menon Big B Dr. Venu Nasrani Kunjachan Akkare Ninnoru Sultan Janmam 2008 Pakal Nakshatrangal Tharakan One Way Ticket Malabar Wedding Unni Sound of Boot Antony Annan Thampi Appu's and Achu's uncle Twenty:20 SI Gopi Thalappavu Shivan Pillai 2009 Red Chillies SI Palaniswamy Perumaal Evidam Swargamanu Adv. Jayaraj Shudharil Shudhan Kanaran Dr. Patient Shankaran Calendar Fr. Thazhekkadan Duplicate Devan Kerala Cafe Gulumaal: The Escape Rangaswami / Ahammedkutty

2010s Year Title Role Notes 2010 Kanmazha Peyyum Munpe Plus Two Avarachan Happy Husbands Pazhakutti Pavithran Oru Naal Varum Ramesh Elsamma Enna Aankutty S.I. Sunandappan 2011 Kudumbasree Travels Nettar Ninnishtam Ennishtam 2 Oru Marubhoomikkadha Jose Rathinirvedam Pattalam Maman Innanu Aa Kalyanam Kuttichan Vellaripravinte Changathi Preman Kunjettan Sevenes Habeebullah 2012 Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty Ayyappan Da Thadiya John Prakash Simhasanam Diamond Necklace V. K. Narayana Menon Ustad Hotel Chef Babu Kunjaliyan Vikrama Kurup Cobra: Kottayam Brothers Balan 2013 Ardhanaari Jameela Black Butterfly Mahadevan Radio Priya's father Lokpal Minister Anirudhan Second Innings Tourist Home Sathyanathan Idukki Gold Madan Namboothiri Yuvavu @ 43 Jayanthan Namboothiri 2014 Samsaaram Aarogyathinu Haanikaram Prabhakaran Thanchappuzha My Dear Mummy Thamarassery to Thailand Bad Boys Close Friends Munnariyippu Rosappookkaalam Bangalore Days Prakash Tamaar Padaar 2015 Thinkal Muthal Velli Vare C. I. Dhanapalan Premam College Principal Acha Dhin SI Soman Oru Second Class Yathra ASI Johnson Kanyaka Talkies Sadanandan Kukkiliyar Raveendran 2016 Paavada Adv. Gunasekharan Nair Ore Mukham Older Ayyappadas Anuraga Karikkin Vellam Prakash Kopara Karinkunnam 6's Pillai Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho Himself 2017 Sakhavu Rajan Comrade in America Babychan Pullikkaran Staraa Murali Nambiar Adam Joan Andrews Lavakusha 2018 Shikkari Shambhu Sahadevan Mohanlal Himself Panchavarnathatha Abraham My Story Vishwan 2019 Pathinettam Padi Sudheer Kumar Finals Sports Minister Siva Shankara Pillai Ganagandharvan Kuttan Thelivu

2020s Year Title Role Notes 2022 Viddikalude Maash Varayan Isthaakki 2023 Poovan Maheshum Marutiyum Padmanabhan 'Pappettan' Enkilum Chandrike Shambu Corona Papers Pillai Neymar 2024 Iyer In Arabia Gu Kudumbasthreeyum Kunjadum Paalum Pazhavum Tamarakshan 2025 Thudarum Kuttychan Bha. Bha. Ba. Ravindran Thillenkery 2026 Prathichaya Ramkrishnan

As producer

Hello My Dear Wrong Number (1985) Vellanakalude Nadu (1988) Aye Auto (1990) Anaswaram (1991) Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu (1999) Anandabhadram (2005) Chotta Mumbai (2007) Oru Naal Varum (2010) Black Butterfly (2013) Pavada (2016) Panchavarnathatha (2018) Finals (2019) Maheshum Marutiyum (2023)

Television As judge Comedy Super Show (Flowers Tv) Comedy Stars Plus (Asianet Plus) Comedy Stars Season 2 (Asianet) Comedy Stars (Asianet)

As host Beautiful minds (YouTube) Laughing Villa (Surya TV) Malayali Durbar