One of the highly acclaimed filmmakers in Malayalam cinema, Shayamaprasad is noted for her making mostly art house films. A versatile artist, Shyamaprasad has also worked as a screenwriter and actor. After completing his graduation degree in Theatre Arts from the School of Drama and Fine Arts, Thrissur, he went to the Hull University, England to do his masters in Media Production, where he received the Commonwealth Scholarship.

He started his career by working as an intern at the BBC and Channel 4, before eventually, he became a filmmaker in India. Having made his directorial debut with Kallu Kondoru Pennu (1998), he rose to fame with his second directorial venture, Agnisakshi (1999), which was also his maiden venture as a writer. The movie not only won wide critical appreciation but also won many awards and accolades including the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, Kerala State Film Award for Best Director and the National Film Award for the Best Feature film in Malayalam.

Post the huge success of Agnisakshi, Shyamaprasad, over the years he directed films like Akale (2004) and Ore Kadal (2007) and cemented his place as one of the finest directors in Malayalam cinema. Both the films were highly critically acclaimed and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. His 2018 directorial venture include Hey Jude, a Malayalam drama starring Trisha Krishnan and Nivin Pauly.

Apart from direction, the multiple award-winning director, Shyamaprasad has also acted in several films. Having made his acting debut on the silver screen with a cameo in the 2013 film, Pattam Pole, he subsequently starred in films like Loham (2015), Anarkali (2015), Karinkunnam 6'S (2016) and Ranam - Detroit Crossing.