Mukesh Madhavan (born 5 March 1957), known mononymously as Mukesh, is an Indian actor, film producer, television presenter, and politician who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil-language films. In a film career spanning four decades, he has acted in over 260 Malayalam films. His 1996 film Kaanaakkinaavu premiered at the IFFI and won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. He co-produced Kadha Parayumbol (2007), which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He also produced the 2012 film Thattathin Marayathu, which is considered one of the defining films of the Malayalam New Wave. He made his onscreen debut in the 1982 film Balloon in a minor role. He continued to do minor roles and rose to secondary lead roles in the following years. He rose to stardom after playing the lead in the comedy thriller film Ramji Rao Speaking (1989). By the early-1990s, he established himself as a bankable leading actor after starring in several successful comedy films in the early 1990's directed by Siddique-Lal. He continued to appear in successful comedy films throughout the 1990's, establishing himself as one of the major stars of the Malayalam film industry. Towards the 2000's he switched back to supporting roles. He was the chairman of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy. Mukesh is the current MLA representing the Kollam constituency of Kerala state. Early and personal life Mukesh was born to actors O. Madhavan and Vijayakumari, in Kollam, Kerala, India on 5 March 1957. He has two sisters, Sandhya Rajendran and Jayasree. Sandhya and her husband, E.A. Rajendran are also actors (stage and film). He attended Infant Jesus School, Tangasseri and pursued a bachelor's degree in science (B.Sc.) from Sree Narayana College in Kollam. He holds a second bachelor's degree in law (LLB) from Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. He was active in stage dramas before he entered the film industry. He married South Indian film actress Saritha in 1988, and they have two sons. After a lengthy separation, they divorced in 2011. Their elder son Shravan made his acting debut in the 2018 film Kalyanam. Mukesh married dance scholar Methil Devika on 24 October 2013. The couple filed for divorce in 2021. He was elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly from Kollam constituency in the election of 2016. Acting career 1982–1989 Mukesh