Madhavan Nair, known mononymously as Madhu, is a veteran Indian film actor, producer and director. In a career spanning over five decades, he has appeared in over 200 films besides directing and producing over 30 feature films. A five-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award, Madhu made his acting debut in 1963, with the critically acclaimed drama Ninamaninja Kalpadukal. He was one among the most sought-after leading men in the Malayalam film industry during the 1960's and 1970's, and his prolific output during this period included some of the landmark films in Malayalam cinema, like Bhargavi Nilayam (1964) and Chemmeen (1965). The latter went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and was feted at the Cannes Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival. Madhu has also appeared in supporting roles in Bollywood and Kollywood, the most notable of which was the historical drama Saat Hindustani (1969), which marked the acting debut of Amitabh Bachchan. Notable acting credits include Thulabharam (1968), Sindooracheppu (1971), Swayamvaram (1972), Naduvazhikal (1989), Samrajyam (1990), Dharma Durai (1991), Hallo (2007), Twenty:20 (2008), Spirit (2012) and Vedham (2017). For his contributions to Indian cinema, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian Government in 2013. He is also associated with 2018 movie Velakkariyayirunnalum Neeyen Mohavalli directed by Govind Varaha and Dustbin.