Biodata

Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, better known by his stage name Dileep, is an Indian actor, producer, and businessman who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has acted in more than 150 films and has won several awards, including four Kerala State Film Awards and one Filmfare Awards South. Beginning as an impressionist in stage shows, Dileep obtained recognition after being cast in the television comedy series Comicola on Asianet and its successor Cinemala. He then produced and performed in the audio cassette series De Maveli Kombathu with Nadirshah, a successful sketch comedy, which was later turned into a television series on Asianet. He began his film career as an assistant director and worked under director Kamal in nine films, beginning with Vishnulokam in 1991, and made his acting debut with a minor role in Kamal's Ennodu Ishtam Koodamo (1992). He acted in a principal role in the 1994 film Manathe Kottaram taking the screen name Dileep. He established himself as a successful actor during the late 1990s, mostly playing comedic roles. In 2003, Dileep founded the film production company Graand Production, its debut film was C.I.D. Moosa. Outside of films, Dileep also owns the multiplex theatre D Cinemaas, and the restaurant chain Dhe Puttu. Dileep was married to actress Manju Warrier from 1998 to 2015. He married actress Kavya Madhavan in 2016.