From a shaky start as a comedian to becoming one of India’s best actors. This is the story of Salim Kumar from North Paravur, who started with mimicry and went on to conquer Malayalam cinema as an actor and director, completing three decades in the industry.
An entire era in Malayalam cinema is defined by the name Salim Kumar. As he completes 30 years in the industry, we look back at the artist who put Malayalam cinema on the national and international map. He is the man who made Malayalis laugh till they cried and then made them cry for real. This isn’t some overnight success story. It’s the journey of an actor who started as a struggling comedian and went on to become the country’s best actor. This is the story of Salim Kumar from North Paravur, who started with mimicry and grew into a celebrated actor and director.
Salim Kumar’s Characters
Characters like Manavalan, who made generations of Malayalis laugh, Kannan Srank, who got more applause than the hero, and Pyari from the wedding scenes—all these hits came from the iconic Shafi-Salim Kumar combination. His comedy was unique, blending frustration, happiness, and sarcasm. It was at Maharajas College that Salim Kumar honed his skills as a mimicry artist. From there, through Cochin Kalabhavan, his voice imitations and jokes spread from one stage to another. Cochin Sagar and Asianet’s ‘Comicola’ were major turning points in his career.
He stepped onto the silver screen with ‘Ishtamanu Nooru Vattam’. He acted in another film, ‘Nee Varuvolam’, but his role was cut. Amidst struggles for opportunities, Salim Kumar kept putting on the greasepaint. From small roles in the nineties, he grew into one of the busiest comedians of the 2000s. His roles as Muthuraman in ‘Thenkasipattanam’ and the transgender character Leelakrishnan in ‘Sutradharan’ were both experimental and successful. Alongside Dileep and Jayaram, Salim Kumar lit up the theatres with non-stop laughter.
At a time when he was delivering hit after hit in comedy roles, he stunned everyone with his performance as Samuel in ‘Achanurangatha Veedu’. That role won him the State Award for Best Supporting Actor. Four years later, ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’ came to him. Salim Kumar lived the character of Abu, reportedly without taking any fee. The role fetched him both the State and National Awards for Best Actor. The film was also India’s official entry to the Oscars. A character as pure, hopeful, and poignant as Abu was essential for a talent like Salim Kumar to showcase his full potential.
Salim Kumar’s growth beyond Malayalam cinema
After that, we saw Salim Kumar’s growth beyond Malayalam cinema into Tamil and Bengali films. He acted alongside Dhanush as Thomayya in ‘Maryan’ and did three Tamil films in 2014 alone. He also appeared in the Bengali film ‘Mayabazar’ and the Oriya film ‘Oonga’. Malayalam cinema honoured him once again with the Best Comedian award for ‘Ayalum Njanum Thammil’. In 2016, Salim Kumar amazed everyone again by writing and directing ‘Karutha Joothan’ (The Black Jew). The film, woven around the character Aaron Elijah, won him the State Award for Best Story. He has directed three films in total.
Occasionally, some people became villains in his story, exaggerating his health issues and spreading rumours. He handled them with his trademark style. He has openly wept at the loss of his loved ones and has always held his close ones tight. Salim Kumar is the name of a man who has remained raw and real. From a mimicry artist to a comedy star, and then an actor who created magic on screen, he has built an incredible legacy. Here’s to the three decades of the man who is now, unofficially, the king of internet trolls and memes.