Harisree Ashokan

Biography:

Harisree Ashokan , born 6 April 1964, is a prominent Indian actor and director, renowned for his comedic roles in Malayalam cinema. Over his career, he has appeared in more than 200 films. He began as a mimicry artist with the troupe Harisree before transitioning to Kalabhavan.

Ashokan, nicknamed Babu, was born on 6 April 1964 in Ernakulam, Kochi, as the sixth of ten children to the late Kunjappan and Janaki. He has nine siblings, including the late Raveendran, Sasindran, and Sujatha, as well as Mohanan, Anil, Sunil, Santha, and Vimala. He completed his early education at MIHS Ernakulam and later joined Kuyilin’s Cochin Kalavedi after finishing tenth grade. Holding a diploma in Telecom Engineering, Ashokan worked as an assistant lineman in Kochi’s Telecom Department starting in 1984, eventually becoming a lineman in 1987. Concurrently, he joined Kalabhavan, later moving to Harisree, where he earned the name Harisree Ashokan. His elder brother also worked in the telecom sector.

Passionate about acting from a young age, Ashokan participated in amateur theatre before debuting in films. His first notable role was in Parvathy Parinayam (1994) as a beggar, directed by P.G. Viswambharan, which became a breakthrough performance. His cinematic journey began earlier, with his debut in the 1986 film Pappan Priyappetta Pappan.

In 1994, Ashokan’s career flourished, with him acting in about ten films, including Vrudhanmare Sookshikkuka, where he played a lead role alongside Dileep. This marked the beginning of one of the most celebrated comedy partnerships in Malayalam cinema.

One of Ashokan’s most iconic roles came in the 1998 film Punjabi House, where he played Ramanan, a character that has since achieved cult status. He continued his successful collaboration with Dileep in hits like Ee Parakkum Thalika (2001), where he portrayed Sundaran, and Meesha Madhavan (2002), playing Sugunan in the year’s highest-grossing Malayalam film.

The year 2003 marked a high point in Ashokan’s career, with memorable performances in blockbuster comedies such as C.I.D. Moosa (as Thorappan Kochunni), Pulival Kalyanam (as Theeppori Kuttappan), and Thilakkam (as Krishankutty). He also played Ugran in Chronic Bachelor. In 2005, he ventured into negative roles with the film Boyy Friennd.

The Dileep-Harisree Ashokan duo remains a fan favorite, having delivered numerous hits, including Runway, Kochi Rajavu, Pandippada, Crazy Gopalan, Chess, Kuberan, and Kaaryasthan.

Ashokan debuted as a director with the 2019 film An International Local Story.

He is married to Preetha, and the couple has two children: Sreekutty and Arjun Ashokan, the latter of whom is a Malayalam film actor.