Sathaar – Screen Villain of Malayalam cinema in the 1980s

Sathaar, also written as Sathar (1952 – 2019) was a popular actor of Malayalam cinema, best known for playing negative roles in the late 1970s and 1980s. He has also done a few character roles onscreen. He was married to popular Malayalam actress Jayabharathi during 1979–1987, and actor Krish J. Sathaar is their son. He remarried in 2011. Apart from more than 300 acting roles belonging to Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages, he has also produced three Malayalam movies – Kambolam, Black mail and Revenge. Sarapancharam in 1979 was his first major break as an actor, and later he played memorable roles in Revenge, Ottayan, Belt Mathai, Liza, Yagaswam, Adimakachavadam, Adiyozhukkukal, Ahimsa, Avalude Ravukal, Aranyakam, Neelathamara, Kadamba etc. He regularly worked in I. V. Sasi and Hariharan movies since late 1970s.

Sathaar alias Abdul Sathar hailed from Kadungalloor, Aluva. He belonged to a big family of 10 children, and he was the 9^th child to his parents. His school and college studies were completed from Aluva. He got his first break to films while he was studying Master’s in History from Union Christian College, Aluva. He had sent his photo for a film audition, which he read through newspapers. Initially he was not serious about films, played small roles, and established as a leading villain in the 1980s. Bharyaye Avashyamundu in 1975 was his first role, following which he played lead hero role in Vincent’s Anavaranam opposite Rani Chandra.

He got his first major break in 1979 through Hariharan’s Sarapancharam, and since then he has been a part of several Hariharan movies. Sarapancharam was the highest grossing film till then and Jayan played negative role. Sathar’s positive character Prabhakaran helps the female lead character Sheela to take revenge. There was no turning back after that, and he worked with almost all leading film directors of 1980s. Many believed that he would reach stardom and became a successor to Sathyam and Prem Nazir. But with the rise of new heroes, it never happened. Yet he gained fame through villain roles he played on screen.

With late 1990s, he started appearing in less number of films, and most of those roles lack significance. With early 2000s following a decline in his film career, he took hiatus in 2003 and concentrated on to business career. He remarried in 2011. He made a comeback through 2012 thriller, 22 Female Kottayam, and also appeared in a few more noted roles. He was last seen in 2014 releases – Mr. Fraud, Manglish and Parayan Baaki Vechathu. He has been suffering from liver related ailments for last few months, before he passed away in September 2019.

Sathaar – Some interesting and less-known facts

Sathar with Jayabharathi and their son Krish J. Sathaar

1. His marriage with screen diva, Jayabharathi – the most popular actress of 1970s was celebrated in grand by film fraternity. It was one of the early star marriages of Malayalam cinema, which was surprising to many. However it lasted for 8 years only. Yet they never blamed each other, and maintained friendly relationship throughout his life. They always mutually respected one another, and he used to address her as ‘Ente Bharathi’ (My Bharathi) even after divorce.

2. Though estranged from his first wife Jayabharathi and son Krish, they used to regularly visit him during his last days when he was ill and also took care of him. When they came to visit him for the last time from Chennai, she broke down into tears and cried profusely.

3. His roles as a handsome young man in the late 1970s movies like Sarapancharam and Yatheem earned him a lot of female fans. His good physique and thick dark hair were loved by many.

4. He knew actor Mammootty since his college days and they shared a good friendship relation. Sathar was a senior to the megastar in cine field, and has done villain roles in Mammootty starrer movies in the 1980s.

5. He played a rare comic role of Rajasekharan Namboothiri in Rajasenan’s Adyathe Kanmani in the 1990s.

6. His former wife Jayabharathi was first married to Malayalam screenwriter, Hari Pothen, brother of noted actor-director Pratap Pothen. She legally separated from him after one year of marriage in 1974. 

7. He met Jayabharathi for the first time in the film sets of movie, Beena in 1978. Jayabharathi who was going through a rough phase of her personal life found a good friend in Sathaar, and slowly their friendship blossomed into love.

8. In 1979, Jayabharathi and Sathaar worked as lead pair of the movie, Ivide Kaattinu Sugandham, and finally tied knot. Sathaar was a rising star those days.

9. From film industry, actor Ratheesh was his close friend, and his sudden death in 2002 left Sathar completely broken.

10. Sathar also started his journey as a film producer in the 1980s, which was not successful. 

11. His son Krish J. Sathar had a brief career in south Indian film industry, and was not successful. Currently he runs a restaurant in London, and is also settled there. 

12. It’s a very rare phenomenon in Malayalam cinema. Many star pairs have later entered wedlock, but they never acted together in any movie after marriage. After their marriage in 1979, Sathar and Jayabharathi worked as lead pair in the movie, Thuranna Jail in 1982. They also shared screen space in movies such as Jambhulingam and Aadharsam released same year, where Jayabharathi played the lead and Sathaar played supporting role. They also worked in a few more movies together. It’s only in 2020 where I noticed a real life couple sharing screen space together for a single movie, Trance. I wonder if any other star pair have worked together after marriage, in between 1982 and 2020.