Balachandra Menon


Balachandra Menon is an Indian film actor, director and script writer. He made a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s. He has directed 40 films and has acted in over 100 films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance as station master Ismail the 1998 film Samaantharangal, which was also directed by him. He has also worked as distributor, editor, composer, singer and producer in the Malayalam film industry.
He has found space in the Limca Book of Records for the maximum number of films directed, scripted and acted in.
Menon has introduced many actors into the Malayalam film industry. Actors who made their debut in his films include Shobana in April 18, Parvathy in Vivahithare Ithile, Maniyanpilla Raju in Maniyan Pilla Adhava Maniyan Pilla, Karthika in Manicheppu Thurannappol, Annie in Ammayane Sathyam, and Nandini in April 19.

Personal life

Balachandra Menon was born in Kollam in 1954 to Shivashankara Pillai and Lalitha Devi. By virtue of his father being a railway station master, he served at Edava railway station and Menon had his formative years of childhood and adolescence life in this village. He studied at Edava Muslim High School and has narrated nostalgically about his memories about his life in this village in his autobiography Ammayaane Sathyam. He is an alumnus of University College Trivandrum and Fatima Mata National College Kollam, Kerala Law Academy Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. Sisters: Sushma and Prema. Wife: Varada Menon. Children: Akhil Menon, Bhavana Menon. Menon enrolled as a lawyer on 29 July 2012, 22 years after completing his degree.
During his early days in Madras, he worked in Nana film weekly as a correspondent. He has completed a diploma in journalism from Press Club, Trivandrum.

Literary works

Civilian Awards:
National Film Awards:
Kerala State Film Awards:
Filmfare Awards South:

Television