Sathyan Anthikad

Sathyan Anthikad is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and lyricist best known for his family dramas in Malayalam cinema.

Sathyan has created many critical and commercially successful films, especially when working with Sreenivasan as the scriptwriter. Sathyan made his debut with the 1982 film Kurukkante Kalyanam.His popular films include T. P. Balagopalan M.A. (1986), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Artham (1989), Mazhavilkavadi (1989),Kalikkalam (1990), Sasneham (1990), Sandesam (1991), My Dear Muthachan (1992), Santhanagopalam (1994), No. 1 Snehatheeram Bangalore North (1995), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Irattakuttikalude Achan (1997), Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal (1999), Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2000), Yathrakarude Sradhakku (2002), Manassinakkare (2003), Achuvinte Amma (2005), Rasatanthram (2006), Oru Indian Pranayakadha (2013), and Njan Prakashan (2018). Sathyan's films have won 5 Kerala State Film Awards, and Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the 48th National Film Awards. He also won 2 Filmfare Awards for Best Director for Thooval Kottaram and Manassinakkare.

Actors Mohanlal, Sreenivasan and Jayaram embodied the typical Sathyan Anthikkad protagonist in most of the films. On the other hand, Sathyan Anthikad had tried making movies in different genres as well but because of their lower success rate at the box-office he hasn't pursued to make more of them. Some of his such films include Pappan Priyappetta Pappan (1986), Samooham (1993),Pingami (1994) and Oral Mathram (1997) with the exception being Artham (1989) which was a commercial success at the box-office.

Sathyan Anthikad was born to M. V. Krishnan and M. K. Kalyani at Anthikad in Thrissur district of Kerala state. He is married to Nimmi Sathyan and has three sons, Arun, Anoop and Akhil. Anoop and Akhil have been assistant directors at malayalam film industry and have also directed independent documentaries. Anoop debuted as an independent director with Varane Avashyamund (2020 malayalam movie) starring Shobhana, Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salmaan & Kalyani Priyadarshan.

In 1973, Sathyan debuted as an assistant director to Dr. Balakrishnan in Rekha Cine Arts. He was the Associate Director Of director P. Chandrakumar for more than twenty films till 1982. He also assisted director Jeassy in few films. Sathyan kickstarted his film direction with Kurukkante Kalyanam in 1982. The legend has it that he started shooting his first film in 1981, named Chamayam. Due to some unfortunate series of events this movie was never completed. He teamed up with Sreenivasan and made some of the most memorable films in Malayalam film history, with Sreenivasan as the screenwriter. Thalayanamanthram, Nadodikkattu and Sandesam are some of the films born from this team, covering socially relevant matters with a comic touch. Sathyan made two novels into films: Appunni starring Mohanlal (a film adaptation of V. K. N.'s novel) and Irattakkuttikalude Achan starring Jayaram and Manju Warrier (an adaptation of C. V. Balakrishnan's novel). Of late, he has ventured into screenwriting and made films like Rasathanthram, Vinodayathra, Innathe Chintha Vishayam and Bhagyadevatha, with credits of story, dialogues and screenplay.

He is a favourite of family filmgoers because of his selection of plots in family-life backgrounds with social relevance and because of his comedic tastes.

Sathyan Anthikad often includes certain actors and technicians more than once in his films. Innocent holds the record of working in maximum films with Sathyan Anthikad. He rarely makes movies without Innocent in the cast. Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Mamukkoya, Nedumudi Venu and K. P. A. C. Lalitha are common cast in his films. His association with screenwriter and actor Sreenivasan's is one of the most successful combinations in Malayalam cinema. Among the lead actors, he has worked with Mohanlal the most, 19 films, closely followed by Jayaram.The trio of Sathyan, Mohanlal and Sreenivasan have produced some of the most memorable hits in Malayalam cinema. He has teamed up with Mammootty for 8 films. Among actresses, Sathyan has teamed up with Meera Jasmine for four consecutive films, the four turning hits. He has also cast Urvashiin his seven films and Shobhana in five films. Manju Warrier teamed up with him in three films

Either Vipin Mohan or Venu has served as cinematographer for almost all of Anthikkad's films. Editor K Rajagopal has edited all Sathyan Anthikad movies since the 80's. Johnson has provided music for most all his films till Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal. Their combination is said to be one of the most successful in Malayalam film history. Many memorable songs and film scores of nineties emerged from this combo. In Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, Anthikkad roped in one of his favourite composers Ilaiyaraaja to compose music. However, he returned to Johnson himself for his next films Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka and Yathrakarude Sradhakku. He again brought back Ilaiyaraja in Manassinakkare, as Johnson took a sabbatical from film scoring. For the film Oru Indian Pranayakatha(2013) he ropedVidyasagar for composing the music. It was followed by Ennum Eppozhum and Jomonte Suvisheshangal.In 2018 Sathyan Anthikad collaborated with music director Shaan Rahman for the film Njan Prakashan,the film also remarks the reunion ofSathyan Anthikad and Sreenivasan combo after 16 years.