His father, a railway station master, wanted his only son to study
medicine or join the IAS, but he was too involved in college dramatics
to do well academically. After getting his BSc degree in 1974, he
studied journalism and applied for a reporter's job with Nana, a
popular Malayalam film magazine.
Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be in the movies. I didn't miss a single film that came to town and often skipped classes to be at a matinée.