Biju Sopanam (born 4 January 1970) is an Indian television, theatre, and film actor. He is best known for portraying the character of Balachandran Thampi in the popular sitcom Uppum Mulakum, broadcast on Flowers TV.[1] He made his movie debut by acting in a small role in the hit movie Rajamanikyam in the year 2005. He is a renowned Sanskrit Drama Artist and have performed in many stages across the country. He was trained under Kavalam Narayana Panicker, the iconic Indian dramatist.
Biju Sopanam | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 January 1970 Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | Uppum Mulakum (Sitcom) |
| Spouse | Lakshmi |
Early life edit
He was born in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram. His younger brother, Binoj Kulathoor, is also a television artist.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Career edit
He started his career as a theatre artist at the age of 20 in Kavalam Narayana Panicker's Sopanam Theatre Group.[8][9][10][11] Along with the group he travelled across India participating in National Theatre Festival(Bharat Rang Mahotsav) and other prestigious programmes. He wanted to get into movies through this but he later revealed that after joining the group he become totally focused on drama and subsequently he left his dreams of becoming a film actor. From 2005 to 2013 he acted in three different films portraying short roles. Then in 2015 he was cast as Benjamin Brunou, a college principal in the television series Back Benchers, being telecasted in Amrita TV. On seeing him in this programme he was called up by director R.Unnikrishnan for his upcoming sitcom being made for Flowers TV. This programme is considered as his breakthrough. He was cast as Balachandran Thampi, a carefree, loving father and husband in the sitcom which was named as Uppum Mulakum. As he had to spend more time on the sets of Uppum Mulakum, his guru Kavalam Narayana Panicker asked him to stop it. But after being impressed by his work in it, he was allowed to do it, but in return he was asked to never leave theatre, which he agreed and now leads the group after his guru's death in 2016, trying to work there through his busy schedule. He skyrocketed to fame for his work in the programme drawing praise from various media organisations. Then he was called for a supporting role as Advocate Subbu in C/O Saira Banu.
Filmography edit
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Rajamanikyam | [12] | |
| 2006 | Bhargavacharitham Moonam Khandam | [12] | |
| 2010 | Nallavan | Man in lockup | |
| 2011 | Veeraputhran | ||
| 2013 | Black Butterfly | ||
| 2017 | C/O Saira Banu | Advocate Subbu | [12] |
| Lechmi | |||
| 2018 | Kuttanpillayude Sivarathri | Suneesh | [13] |
| Thattumpurath Achuthan | |||
| 2019 | Janaadhipan | ||
| Pathinettam Padi | Shalamon Abraham Palakkal | ||
| Love Action Drama | Dinesh's Uncle | ||
| Adhyarathri | Satheesh | ||
| Kamala | Ravi | ||
| Gauthamante Radham | Shibu Asan | ||
| 2021 | Djibouti | [14] | |
| 2022 | Priyan Ottathilanu | Chekkuttan | [15] |
| 2022 | Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan | Sugathan | |
| Mukundan Unni Associates | Dr. Sebatti | ||
| 2023 | Laika | [16] | |
| Madhura Manohara Moham | Jose | ||
| Kunjamminis Hospital | Fr. Ainickal Joy | ||
| Pendulum | Tea Shop Owner | ||
| Rani | [17] | ||
| 2024 | Iyer in Arabia † | TBA | [18] |
Television edit
| Year | Programme | Role | Channel | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Back Benchers | Benjamin Brunou, College Principal | Amrita TV | ||
| 2015-2021 | Uppum Mulakum | Kulathara Shoolamkudi Veetil Balachandran Thampi (Balu) | Flowers TV | [19] | |
| 2018 | Krithyam | Shivanna | YouTube | Short film | |
| 2020-2021 | Double Decker | Paramada Veetil Balu | Flowers TV | Reprising his role from Uppum Mulakum | |
| 2021 | Pappanum Padminiyum | Pappan | YouTube | Web series | |
| 2021 | Eruvum Puliyum | Balu | Zee Keralam | Telefilm | [20] |
| 2021 | Kattan | Omanakuttan (Omana) | YouTube | Web series | |
| 2022 | Erivum Puliyum | Freddy | Zee Keralam | Reboot of Uppum Mulakum | [21] |
| 2022–2024 | Uppum Mulakum Season 2 | Kulathara Shoolamkudi Veetil Balachandran Thampi (Balu) | Flowers TV | [22] |
Awards edit
| Award | Year | Category | Programme | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala State Television Award | 2017 | Best Comedian | Uppum Mulakum | Won | [23] |
| Flowers Comedy Awards | 2016 | Best Star Pair | Won | ||
| Flowers TV Award | 2017 | Best Actor | Won | [24] |
References edit
- ^ Ur, Arya. "Balu makes a family group in social media - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "ഉപ്പും മുളകിൽ മാത്രമല്ല, ജീവിതത്തിലും ഞങ്ങൾ ചങ്ക് ബ്രോസ്". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam).
- ^ "Biju Sopanam to star in 'Nalla Vishesham' - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "Biju Sopanam joins the football fever; See the picture - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "'Uppum Mulakum' fame Biju Sopanam turns singer! - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "സ്വാഭാവികമായി അഭിനയിക്കുന്നത് എങ്ങനെ? ബിജു സോപാനത്തിന്റെ മറുപടി". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam).
- ^ "Nalla Vishesham Movie Review {1.5/5}: Critic Review of Nalla Vishesham by Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ M, Athira (8 March 2018). "The family hero". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Uppum Mulakum actor Biju Sopanam wishes his on-screen daughter Shivani Menon on her birthday; see post - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "ബിജു സോപാനത്തിന്റെ വീട്ടുവിശേഷങ്ങൾ". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam).
- ^ "Prithviraj joins the sets of 'Pathinettam Padi'". The News Minute. 20 April 2019.
- ^ a b c s, aravind k (29 March 2017). "A spicy miracle". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Review : Kuttanpillayude Sivarathri review:An average watch (2018)". Sify. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "'ഉപ്പു മുളകും' സംവിധായകൻ സിനിമാ രംഗത്തേക്ക്" ['Uppu Mulakum' director enters the film industry]. Indian Express (in Malayalam). 17 January 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "Review | Breezy drama 'Priyan Ottathilaanu' with empathetic characters and ample humour". The New Indian Express. 25 June 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Laika to release this Friday". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
- ^ "South Duo Biju Sopanam And Shivani Menon-starrer Rani Set To Hit Theatres Soon". News18. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Makers Of Dhyan Sreenivasan-starrer Iyer In Arabia Lock Release Date". News18. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "Uppum Mulakum: Uppum Mulakum fame Biju Sopanam and Parukutty celebrate their birthdays". Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Erivum Puliyum: Here's what to expect from this Onam special sitcom". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Erivum Puliyum: Juliet and Freddie to spice up the humor quotient". Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Uppum Mulakum preview: Neelu and kids to be extra stringent with Balu; here's why". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Kerala State Television Awards". KeralaTV.in. 22 October 2017.
- ^ "Flowers TV Awards". malayalam.oneindia.com.
External links edit
- Biju Sopanam at IMDb