Mohanlal
Overview
 
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...

, singer and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

 who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...

 & hence widely known as the Universal Star. He made his acting debut in the unreleased movie Thiranottam
Thiranottam
Thiranottam is a 1978 Malayalam film produced by Ashok Kumar and directed by Priyadarshan starring Mohanlal, Manianpilla Raju and Ravi Kumar. It was Mohanlal's first film. He played Kuttappan, a mentally disabled servant in the movie...

(1978), which was followed by a role as the lead antagonist in his first release Manjil Virinja Pookkal
Manjil Virinja Pookkal
Manjil Virinja Pookkal is a 1980 Malayalam film produced by Navodaya Appachan and directed by Fazil, starring Shankar, Poornima Jayaram, and Mohanlal in the main roles. This film was one of the biggest hits of the year and was a major landmark in the career of director Fazil. The songs were...

in 1980.

Antagonistic parts in several movies followed before Mohanlal established himself as a lead actor playing a wide variety of character types in comedy and action films amongst others.
 
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