# Jagathy Sreekumar
**Jagathy Sreekumar** (ജഗതി ശ്രീകുമാർ; born 1951) is an Indian film actor, comedian, and singer known by the short name Jagathy, best known for comic roles in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema). He is widely called the "comedy emperor" (ഹാസ്യ സാമ്രാട്ട്) of Malayalam cinema and is among the most prolific actors the industry has produced; one source counts him, after [Prem Nazir](https://www.edgepedia.org/prem-nazir), among the few actors with the largest number of Malayalam film appearances[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html). His stage name comes from the Jagathy neighborhood of [Thiruvananthapuram](https://www.edgepedia.org/thiruvananthapuram), where he was born[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1951, at Jagathy, Thiruvananthapuram, to dramaturge Jagathy N. K. Achary and Ponnammal[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html) |
| Film count | About 1,200 films by one account; other accounts give more than 1,500, and a filmography database lists 939 released Malayalam films[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html) • [3](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2026/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-legacy.html) • [2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) |
| Records | Mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records for featuring in more than 1,000 films[4](https://flixpatrol.com/person/jagathy-sreekumar/) |
| Kerala State Film Awards | Five awards: Second Best Actor (1991, 2002), special mention (2007), special jury award (2009), and best comedian (2011)[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html) |
| Other roles | Directed two films, Annakkutti Kodambakkam Viliyunnu (1989) and Kalyana Unnikal; wrote screenplays for two more[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault) |
| 2012 accident | Seriously injured in a road accident near Thenjipalam, Malappuram district, on 10 March 2012; hospitalized for over a year[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) |
| Return | Came back to Malayalam cinema with *CBI 5: The Brain*, released 1 May 2022[5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault) |
## Early life
Sreekumar was born in 1951 at Jagathy in Thiruvananthapuram. His father, Jagathy N. K. Achary, was an acclaimed dramaturge, writer, and humorist, and his mother was Ponnammal[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html) • [6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNXtvQOz248). His pet name was Ambili, and he was active in the arts at school and college, appearing in plays from his school days[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [7](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2024/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-s-73rd-birthday.html).
He completed his schooling at Model School, Thiruvananthapuram, and took a bachelor's degree in botany from Mar Ivanios College[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html). After graduating he worked for a time as a medical representative in Madras, and it was during this period that he moved toward the film industry; he came to cinema from the stage[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html).
## Acting career
The filmography database MalayalaSangeetham.Info records *Achhanum Makanum* (1957), directed by [Vimal Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/vimal-kumar), as his first film, a childhood appearance, and *Kanyakumari* (1974), directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan, as his first credited adult role[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [8](https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movieslist.php?a=56&ln=ml). Filmibeat instead names *Chattambi Kalyani* (1975) as the film in which he first acted[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html).
**Breakthrough.** It was through *Chattambi Kalyani*, released in 1975 and directed by Shashi Kumar, that he became noticed; the Samayam profile says his comic role as [Adoor Bhasi](https://www.edgepedia.org/adoor-bhasi)'s sidekick boy in that film drew wide attention[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault). His career then turned decisively in the 1980s, and from 1984 into the 1990s one profile calls him Malayalam cinema's "sub-superstar"[5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault).
**Range.** Though he became famous through comic characters, he also delivered notable performances in character roles and villain roles[5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault). Manorama's profile notes that his style grew apart from the comic stars of the earlier era, Adoor Bhasi and Bahadoor, into a different approach, and that for about five years he played comic parts in many films before roles came along that used his ability fully[3](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2026/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-legacy.html).
**Prolific output.** The count of his films depends on the source. Filmibeat says about 1,200[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html); Manorama and Samayam give 1,500 or more[3](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2026/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-legacy.html) • [5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault); and MalayalaSangeetham.Info counts 939 released films among 948 available titles, with the first in 1957[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors). FlixPatrol and [BookMyShow](https://www.edgepedia.org/bookmyshow) note his mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for featuring in more than 1,000 films[4](https://flixpatrol.com/person/jagathy-sreekumar/) • [9](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/jagathy-sreekumar/892). IMDb lists 884 acting credits, 3 writing credits, and 2 directing credits[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0415549/).
## Awards and recognition
He won five [Kerala State Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/kerala-state-film-awards) for his acting across various films[5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault):
- Second Best Actor, 1991, for *[Kilukkam](https://www.edgepedia.org/kilukkam)* and *Apoorvam Chilar*[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors)
- Second Best Actor, 2002, for *Meesa Madhavan* and *Nizhalkkuthu*[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors)
- Special mention, 2007, for *Paradesi*, *Arabikkatha*, and *Veeralipattu*[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html)
- Special jury award, 2009, for *Ramanam*[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html)
- Best comedian, 2011, for *Swapna Sanchari*[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html)
He also received Asianet Film Awards and Jayhind TV awards[1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html).
## Work as director and writer
Jagathy directed two films, *Annakkutti Kodambakkam Viliyunnu* (1989) and *Kalyana Unnikal*, and wrote the screenplays for two more[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault). In an old interview that later circulated widely, he said that as a director he had been a big failure[11](https://malayalam.samayam.com/malayalam-cinema/celebrity-news/actor-jagathy-sreekumars-old-interview-goes-viral/amp_articleshow/88644662.cms). He also produced and acted in the serial *Hooka Huva Mikkaado*[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors).
## The 2012 accident and return
On 10 March 2012, Jagathy was seriously injured in a road accident at the Panambara curve near Thenjipalam in [Malappuram district](https://www.edgepedia.org/malappuram-district), close to the [University of Calicut](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-calicut)[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [12](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/jagathy-sreekumar-returns-to-acting-5592575/). He underwent several surgeries and spent more than a year in hospital, and was afterwards unable to act or lead a normal routine[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors) • [1](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html).
After a long recovery he returned to Malayalam cinema with the [Mammootty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mammootty) film *CBI 5: The Brain*, released on 1 May 2022[5](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault). MalayalaSangeetham.Info notes that some films included him after the accident mainly for promotion, and that he now lives a retired life with his family in Thiruvananthapuram[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors). He has three children: Rajkumar and Parvathi with his wife Shoba, and the actress Sreelakshmi Sreekumar with the actress Kala[2](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors).
## References
1. [ജഗതി ശ്രീകുമാർ: മൂവീസ്, പ്രായം, ജീവചരിത്രം – Filmibeat Malayalam](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/celebs/jagathy-sreekumar.html)
2. [Jagathy Sreekumar – Profile, MalayalaSangeetham.Info](https://www.malayalasangeetham.info/displayProfile.php?artist=Jagathy+Sreekumar&category=actors)
3. [ജഗതിക്കായി നിർമാതാക്കൾ പോലും ക്യൂ നിന്നു – Manorama Online](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2026/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-legacy.html)
4. [Jagathy Sreekumar – FlixPatrol](https://flixpatrol.com/person/jagathy-sreekumar/)
5. [ജഗതി ശ്രീകുമാർ ബയോ – Samayam Malayalam](https://malayalam.samayam.com/entertainment/jagathy-sreekumar-bio/ampdefault)
6. [Jagathy Sreekumar who loved to encourage newcomers – Kaumudy TV, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNXtvQOz248)
7. [ഹാസ്യസാമ്രാട്ട് ജഗതി ശ്രീകുമാറിനു പിറന്നാൾ – Manorama Online](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2024/01/05/jagathy-sreekumar-s-73rd-birthday.html)
8. [ജഗതി ശ്രീകുമാര് അഭിനയിച്ച മലയാളം സിനിമകളുടെ പട്ടിക – MalayalaChalachithram](https://www.malayalachalachithram.com/movieslist.php?a=56&ln=ml)
9. [Jagathy Sreekumar – BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/jagathy-sreekumar/892)
10. [Jagathy Sreekumar – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0415549/)
11. [സംവിധായകനായി ഞാൻ ഒരു വലിയ പരാജയം – Samayam Malayalam](https://malayalam.samayam.com/malayalam-cinema/celebrity-news/actor-jagathy-sreekumars-old-interview-goes-viral/amp_articleshow/88644662.cms)
12. [Jagathy Sreekumar returns to acting – The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/malayalam/jagathy-sreekumar-returns-to-acting-5592575/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Malayalam film actors › Surnames S to W*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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