# Nishadh Yusuf
**Nishadh Yusuf** (നിഷാദ് യൂസഫ്, 1981 – 30 October 2024) was an Indian film editor who worked predominantly in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema) and on a smaller number of Tamil films.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Haripad, Alappuzha, Kerala, India; IMDb gives 1980, other records 1981[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/) • [2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/malayalam/editor/nishadh-yusuf) |
| Died | 30 October 2024, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, Kerala, aged 43[3](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/cinema/cine-news/locked-room-at-230-am-wife-alerted-police-tearful-adieu-to-film-editor-nishad-yusuf-1413782) |
| Major award | Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor, 2022, for *Thallumaala*[4](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html) |
| Other honor | Film Critics Award for editing *Operation Java*[3](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/cinema/cine-news/locked-room-at-230-am-wife-alerted-police-tearful-adieu-to-film-editor-nishad-yusuf-1413782) |
| Best-known work | *Thallumaala* (2022), *Unda* (2019), *Operation Java* (2021), *Kanguva* (2024)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/) |
## Early life and start in editing
Yusuf was born in Haripad in Kerala's Alappuzha district. Filmibeat describes him as originating from Harippad, and NETTV4U lists his birthplace as Haripad, Kerala.[4](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html) • [2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/malayalam/editor/nishadh-yusuf) His birth year is reported inconsistently: IMDb gives 1980, while the Everything Explained profile and NETTV4U both give 9 February 1981.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/) • [2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/malayalam/editor/nishadh-yusuf)He began his career as an editor at the [Asianet News](https://www.edgepedia.org/asianet-news) channel.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/) After a diploma course in editing, he edited roughly 850 episodes of the Malayalam television serial *Minnukettu*, a hit in Kerala.[5](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/from-thallumala-to-kanguva-the-inspiring-journey-of-editor-nishadh-yusuf-2073928.html) In 2008 he moved to Chennai, where he met the editor Vivek Harshan, a meeting Yusuf later credited as the reason he reached where he did in the industry.[5](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/from-thallumala-to-kanguva-the-inspiring-journey-of-editor-nishadh-yusuf-2073928.html)
## Film career
**Assistant work and early credits.** Yusuf first worked as an assistant editor on two or three films, then moved into spot editing and related work. His first full credits as editor were Vinayan's *Raghuvinte Swantham Rasiya* and *Dracula 2012*. For reasons he described only generally, he then stayed away from cinema for a period.[5](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/from-thallumala-to-kanguva-the-inspiring-journey-of-editor-nishadh-yusuf-2073928.html)
**Return to films.** The comeback he described as the turning point of his film career came through his friend, the director Khalid Rahman.[5](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/from-thallumala-to-kanguva-the-inspiring-journey-of-editor-nishadh-yusuf-2073928.html) Onmanorama separately notes that he had begun his film career as a spot editor on the sets of [Aashiq Abu](https://www.edgepedia.org/aashiq-abu)'s *22 Female Kottayam*.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html)
A run of Malayalam releases between 2019 and 2024 built his reputation: *Unda*, *[Operation Java](https://www.edgepedia.org/operation-java)*, *One*, *Udal*, *1001 Nunakal*, *Saudi Vellakka*, *Thallumaala*, *Aalankam*, *Chaaver*, *Ramachandra Boss & Co*, *[Adios Amigo](https://www.edgepedia.org/adios-amigo-2024-film)*, and *Exit*.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html) • [7](https://letterboxd.com/editor/nishadh-yusuf/) *Thallumaala* (2022), directed by Khalid Rahman, brought him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor.[4](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html) His editing of *Operation Java* earned the Film Critics Award.[3](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/cinema/cine-news/locked-room-at-230-am-wife-alerted-police-tearful-adieu-to-film-editor-nishad-yusuf-1413782) Filmibeat's profile describes him as known for a precise editing style with a keen sense of pacing, narrative flow, and visual storytelling, and lists his collaborations with [Mammootty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mammootty) and with director Tinu Pappachan.[4](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html)
**Tamil and pan-Indian work.** His Tamil credits included Siva's *Kanguva*, released 14 November 2024, and S. J. Sinu's *[Petta Rap](https://www.edgepedia.org/petta-rap)*, released 27 September 2024.[8](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html) Onmanorama reports that at his death he was also the editor of *Suriya 45*, directed by [RJ Balaji](https://www.edgepedia.org/rj-balaji), and had recently attended the audio launch of *Kanguva* in Chennai.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html)
**Posthumous releases.** Three films on which he had worked were released after his death: *Alappuzha Gymkhana* (directed by Khalid Rahman, released 10 April 2025), *[Bazooka](https://www.edgepedia.org/bazooka-film)* (starring Mammootty), and *Thudarum* (starring Mohanlal).[9](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishadh-yusuf/upcoming-movies.html) Kerala Kaumudi reported that during his final days he was editing *Bazooka*, and that the trailers of all three films carried his name in the credits.[10](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1506034&u=) IMDb also lists a single writing credit, an untitled pre-production project associated with Austin Dan and [Jayasurya](https://www.edgepedia.org/jayasurya).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/)
## Death
Yusuf was found dead on the morning of 30 October 2024 at his flat in Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, aged 43. Kerala Kaumudi reported that he was found hanging from a fan in the bedroom and that his wife, finding the room locked at around 2:30 am, had alerted the police.[3](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/cinema/cine-news/locked-room-at-230-am-wife-alerted-police-tearful-adieu-to-film-editor-nishad-yusuf-1413782) • [6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html) Onmanorama described the Malayalam industry's reaction as shock at the sudden death of an editor whose recent work had helped raise contemporary Malayalam cinema to a pan-Indian level.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html)
## Assessment
Within the industry, Yusuf was identified as one of the editors behind the wave of commercially and critically successful Malayalam films of the early 2020s. Onmanorama counted *Unda*, *Saudi Vellakka*, *Thallumaala*, *Operation Java*, *One*, *Chaaver*, and *1001 Nunakal* among his superhit films, and listed the Mammootty film *Bazooka*, Suriya's *Kanguva*, and *Alappuzha Gymkhana* among the projects pending at his death.[6](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html) Kerala Kaumudi noted in 2025 that the simultaneous trailer releases of *Bazooka*, *Thudarum*, and *Alappuzha Gymkhana* made his name and the timing of his loss visible in a single day's credits.[10](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1506034&u=)
## References
1. [Nishadh Yusuf, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11858848/)
2. [Nishadh Yusuf profile, NETTV4U](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/malayalam/editor/nishadh-yusuf)
3. [Tearful adieu to film editor Nishad Yusuf, Kerala Kaumudi Online](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/cinema/cine-news/locked-room-at-230-am-wife-alerted-police-tearful-adieu-to-film-editor-nishad-yusuf-1413782)
4. [Nishad Yusuf biography, Filmibeat](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html)
5. [From Thallumala to Kanguva: the journey of editor Nishadh Yusuf, TV9 Malayalam](https://www.malayalamtv9.com/entertainment/from-thallumala-to-kanguva-the-inspiring-journey-of-editor-nishadh-yusuf-2073928.html)
6. [Malayalam cinema mourns the passing of editor Nishadh Yusuf, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2024/10/30/film-editor-nishadh-yusuf-death-malayalam-industry-mourns.amp.html)
7. [Films edited by Nishadh Yusuf, Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/editor/nishadh-yusuf/)
8. [நிஷாத் யூஸுப் filmography, Filmibeat Tamil](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/celebs/nishad-yusuf.html)
9. [Nishadh Yusuf filmography, Filmibeat](https://filmibeat.com/celebs/nishadh-yusuf/upcoming-movies.html)
10. [Bazooka, Thudarum and Alappuzha Gymkhana: Nishadh Yusuf's name evokes grief, Kerala Kaumudi Online](https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=1506034&u=)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film editors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license