Sethu – South Indian actor, producer and businessman from Kerala, best known for his debut flick ‘Mynaa’

Sethu G Pillai, better known as Sethu is a south Indian film actor and producer, associated with Malayalam and Tamil films. He is also a businessman and entrepreneur associated with garland manufacturing and retailing as well as food processing industry and also owns Kayal International. As an actor he is best known for his debut performance in ‘Mynaa’ released in Tamil in 2010. Since then he has appeared in half a dozen of films in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam, and produced a couple of hit Tamil films, Kokki and Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar, before turning an actor.

An entrepreneur turned film producer and actor

Sethu was born in Mavelikkara in Alappuzha district of Kerala. He is now settled in Kottayam with his family, fully engaged in his business venture related to garland manufacturing and retailing. He has also diversified in his business activities and has entered food processing industry, under the brand Kayal Food Products. He completed MBA before joining business.

He entered film industry as a film producer in the year 2006 at the age of 25. His debut film as a producer, Kokki was a box office hit. His second film Karuppusamy Kuththagaithaarar also had a successful run at box office. Yet he never produced films later and switched to acting.

Prabhu Solomon gave him first break to acting through Mynaa

Sethu marked his screen debut with tragic love story, Mynaa in 2010 directed by Prabhu Solomon. After the success of the movie, like many other artists associated with the film, he also added the tag Mynaa to his name and hence he is often addressed as Mynaa Sethu. He played the memorable role of DSP Bhaskar in the movie. In 2013 he marked his Malayalam screen debut through Thank You, playing second lead. The movie starring Jaya Surya and Honey Rose flopped at box office. He appeared in one more Malayalam movie, 100 Degree Celsius (2014).

He marked his Telugu screen debut with Manasunu Maaya Seyake in 2014 in a lead role, and appeared in one more Tamil release, Kadavul Paathi Mirugam Paathi playing parallel lead. Both were commercial failures. Two of his films – Thittamittapadi in Tamil and Onpatham Nila in Malayalam got delayed.

Mynaa Sethu – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. His role as likable police officer, Bhaskar in Mynaa earned him the nickname, Mynaa Sethu.

2. During his school days, he was quite active in school dramas. However he turned a businessman. Years later his friends dragged him into films, especially Prabhu Solomon, who directed his first production venture, Kokki.

3. After the success of Mynaa, though he received many film roles he kept a low profile and turned choosy about his roles. Most of those roles were similar to his cop role in Mynaa, which he rejected.

4. As an entrepreneur, he owns Kayal International General Trading LLC.

5. Manasunu Maaya Seyake was his first release in a solo lead role. Its Tamil version titled Manadhil Maayam Seidhai never got released.

6. He is interested in cricket and fitness, and both form a routine part of his life style.

Also read about another Tamil actor with the same name, a dermatologist too by profession, who had an early death at the age of 35 in 2020.