Vishnu Unnikrishnan – Malayalam film actor of ‘Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan’ fame

Vishnu Unnikrishnan is a popular actor of Malayalam cinema at present. He plays both lead and supporting roles. He has also co-scripted a few movies. He is best known for his association with actor-director Nadirshah, who gave him the big break of his career, ‘Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan’ in 2016. Vishnu also co-scripted Nadirshah’s Amar Akbar Anthony (played a cameo role) and Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan. Oru Yamandan Premakadha (2018) was his third movie as a scriptwriter. As an actor, Vikadakumaran, Big Brother, Iyobinte Pusthakam, Oru Yamandan Premakadha, Shikkari Shambhu, Nithyaharitha Nayakan and Neeyum Njanum are a few other works.

Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum was his debut flick

Vishnu Unnikrishnan was born in Ernakulam in 1987. From standard 5, he started performing mimicry and mono act for school competitions. He gave his first stage mimicry performance two years earlier. He used to imitate his school teachers for his mimicry performances.

As an actor Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum was his first break to films. He won first prize for mimicry at State Higher Secondary Competition, which helped him to bag the role. He played the brief role of a juvenile in this film. He was 16 then. Then he portrayed Jayaram’s teenage role in Amrutam. As a teenager he worked in Rappakal, Mayavi, Kadha Parayumbol, Pottas Bomb, Palunk etc. A few of them are uncredited roles. He played a child rapist in Palunk. Throughout 2010s till 2015 he played less significant character roles on screen. He was a mimicry artist and stage performer before he turned a full-time actor and screenwriter.

Nadirshah helped him to move to the league of popular young actors

He co-scripted Nadirshah’s debut flick as a director, Amar Akbar Anthony, and also played a cameo role. In his next venture Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan, Nadirshah casted him the lead role. It was Vishnu’s first full-fledged role as an actor, and also co-scripted the film. He joined hands with Bibin George to script both these commercial hits. In Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan, he played a less-glamorous youngster who aspires to become a hero in movies, and received rave reviews for his performance. His role was enough to break all stereotypes of a hero of a popular film. Since then he played both lead and supporting roles on screen, alongside screenwriting.

Vishnu Unnikrishnan – Some interesting and less-known facts

He tied knot with Aishwarya on February 2, 2020

1. Till 2020, he co-scripted three movies, and he collaborated with screenwriter Bibin George for all these works. Vishnu played a cameo in Margamkali, which marked screen debut of Bibin George in a lead role opposite Namitha Pramod. They knew each other since studying class 6 and mimicry brought them closer.

2. He and Bibin George participated in many mimicry competitions during academic years. Except once, Vishnu received first prize always while Bibin had to satisfy with second prize. Yet they remained thick friends. Bibin George beat him while they were studying at Maharaja’s college.

3. Before he turned active in films, he was regular with stage performances and mimicry. On one such stage performances at Kochi Mulavukadu temple, he received a currency note garland for his terrific performance on stage, and it was offered by none other than Dharmajan Bolgatty, yet another familiar name to Malayalis in stage performances and films.

4. He rendered his voice for “Paarijaatha Poo” song of Nithyaharitha Nayakan, where he played lead role. The film was co-produced by Dharmajan Bolgatty, who had appreciated his talents long before he turned a full-time actor.