Baburaj

Aashiq Abu's Salt N' Pepper (2011) changed Baburaj's screen image. For years he had been known for negative roles, and his comic part in that film made him one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. Born Baburaj Jacob and from Irinjalakuda, he started as a junior artist and got his first notable part as a villain in Cochin Haneefa's Bheesmacharya (1994); one of his negative roles came in the Hindi film Hulchul (2004). An actor, director and screenwriter, he works mostly in Malayalam and has also acted in Tamil films. He has produced four Malayalam films and one Tamil film. He turned director in 2009 with Black Dalia, in which he acted with Suresh Gopi, and later directed Manushyamrugam with Prithviraj Sukumaran. After Salt N' Pepper he took comic roles in films such as Ordinary, where he played the bus passenger Vakkachan, and Mayamohini, having earlier appeared in Pokkiri Raja. He led Naughty Professor, DYSP Sankunni Uncle and Honey Bee 2: Celebrations, and Koodasha revealed his range in serious drama. His Panakkal Jomon in Joji (2021) drew strong reviews, and that same year he directed Black Coffee, a spin-off of Salt N' Pepper. He is in the lead cast of the media thriller Udumbanchola Vision, directed by Salaam Bukhari and led by Mathew Thomas, which opened in Kerala on 21 October 2026.