Santosh Sethumadhavan – Director son of legendary Malayalam filmmaker K. S. Sethumadhavan

Santosh Sethumadhavan is a National award-winning filmmaker, scriptwriter and creative director associated with Malayalam cinema. He is the youngest son of legendary Malayalam filmmaker K. S. Sethumadhavan, known for directing many iconic films in the eras of 1960s and 1970s, and for recreating many classics on celluloid.

Santosh Sethumadhavan with his father, director Sethumadhavan

His first short film, Appuvin Nayagan – Spotty, based on a story by Indira Parthasarathy, received National Film Awards 2008 for the Best Film on Family Values, and IDPA awards. As a film director, he is best known for directing Chattakkari (2012), which was a remake of the 1974 classic of the same name directed by his father. However the movie failed to impress both critics and viewers.

Santosh Sethumadhavan got influenced by his father at a very early age

He was born in Chennai as the youngest son of Sethumadhavan, one among the best filmmakers of Malayalam all time. He is of Kerala origin, and Palakkad is his hometown. He completed his education from Chennai. Since young he was deeply influenced by the works of his father, and wished to join media stream.

He later worked as an assistant director under the influential figures like Bharathan, Priyadarshan and P.C. Sreeram. He also worked as a line producer for a news channel managed by the Dinamalar Group. He later directed travelogues for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Tourism, promotional films for market-based wellness products and a few corporate films for O&M on behalf of Cadbury’s India and Government sectors.

His first short film earned National award

Nilave Nilave Song from Chattakari – A popular romantic song recorded in Shreya Ghoshal’s voice

Appuvin Nayagan – Spotty was his first short film. In 2012 he marked his debut in Malayalam film industry through the remake of Chattakkari. He then made a docudrama “The Mask of God” for Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT) on behalf of Government of India and a short film “Where the Trees Sing”. In 2021 he made a documentary Kathayudae Samvidhanam, portraying his father, a few months before his death. His wife Navina is a writer and costume designer, and the couple has 2 children.