Jagadish starred in over 50 films as the lead actor. He was one of the bankable actors in Malayalam cinema in the 1990s.
Published Jun 12, 2023 | 1:58 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 10, 2023 | 2:52 PM
Actor Jagadish in Rorschach Actor Jugadish in 'Rorschach'. (Supplied)
Malayalam actor Jagadish is known for his comic roles. The actor, who acted in more than 375 films, has played the role of hero, second hero, negative role, and many more.
He is celebrated for humorous roles in In Harinar Nagar (1990), Hitler (1996), Varavelpu (1989), etc.
Even though he is known for his comic roles, the veteran actor has played some noted characters in his new films. He is a popular TV anchor, too.
Jagadish starred in over 50 films as the lead actor during the 1990s. He was one of the bankable lead stars in Malayalam cinema during the 1990s.
A bank officer, Jagadish later worked as a lecturer in a government-aided college. He then made an acting debut with My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), India’s first 3D film.
He got a break in Siddique Lal’s In Harihar Nagar and his role as Appukuttan was well appreciated.
His popular films include Godfather (1991), Mimics Parade (1991), Welcome to Kodaikanal (1992), Thiruthalvaadi (1992), Priyapetta Kukku (1992), and Mr & Mrs (1992).
Jagadish has been in the industry for the last 39 years. After the comic roles in the initial phase of his career, he shifted to character roles. He shared good screen space with actors like Mohanlal, Jayaram, Mukesh, and Saikumar in several films.
In April 2022, the actor lost his wife Rema, who was the former head of the Forensic Department of Trivandrum Medical College.
The actor turns 68 years old on Monday, 12 June.
On his birthday, here is a look at some of the best characters he essayed recently.
Ranjith’s Leela (2016) had been a major turning point in Jagadish’s career. His role as the cruel father was a change from his usual roles.
Since then, young filmmakers noticed him for his ability to play unique roles. After Leela, he chose to be a character artist rather than a comedy artist.
His appearance as a cop in Kasaba (2016) was notable. Then came his quirky doctor role in Brahmam (2022), an official remake of the Hindi movie Andhadhun (2018). This role was accepted widely.
Jagadish’s role as Jabbar in Mammootty’s Rorschach (2022) was quite different from his previous ones. His role as the policeman had different layers. He investigates a missing case in a parallel mode.
The way he gets killed in this dark thriller gave a different experience to the Malayali audience.
Rorschach was a commercial success and Jagadish won laurels for his performance.
Even Mammootty was excited about Jagadish’s role and admitted it during promotional interviews.
Purusha Pretham (2023) is another movie that had Jagadish in the role of CPO Dileep. In this movie, Jagadish is both funny and serious.
The neo-noir kind of movie had good moments where Jagadeesh could display his acting talent. His combination with Prasanth Alexander in the movie got appreciation from the audience and critics.
In Prithviraj’s Kaapa (2022), Jagadish is a member of a local gangster group headed by Kotta Madhu (Prithviraj). Jabbar is Madhu’s right hand, and this role was safe in the hands of Jagadsih.
It was the first time in his career that Jagadish played a gangster. His mannerisms and body language were similar to that of a gangster and he excelled in the movie which went on to become a box office hit.
Kochuousep in Pookalam (2023) is the ex-lover of Ichamma. Jagadish as Kochuousep had a brief role in the movie but his character was of much importance. For, the film had a unique theme — a 100-year-old man seeking divorce from his wife.
In Soubin Shahir’s Ayalvaashi (2023) and Prithviraj’s Gold (2022), Jagadeesh did comic roles, but both had an impact on the story.
In Ayalvaashi, Jagadish was responsible for all the problems happening. However, this was only revealed at the end.
In Gold, Jagadish plays the role of a greedy policeman.