J. P. Thuminad

Working as a painter for a construction company was how J. P. Thuminad earned a living before he turned to theatre and acted in many local productions. Born Jaya Prakash Thuminad in Manjeshwar, a coastal village in the Kasaragod district of Kerala where Kannada, Malayalam and Tulu cultures meet, he is a director, writer and actor in Kannada and Tulu cinema, and that background has shaped his stories. His film acting debut came in Raj B. Shetty's Kannada film Ondu Motteya Kathe (2017). Su From So (2025), a supernatural comedy-drama set against village life and folklore, was his first film as director, and he cast many performers from local theatre groups in it. Critics praised its writing, direction and acting, it did well commercially, and many reviewers took its success as proof that small-budget films with strong regional stories can work. His approach gives weight to the coastal folk traditions of Karnataka and Kerala, and he has said he wants to keep working in theatre. He now appears in the Malayalam film Happiloop, alongside Manju Warrier and Mukesh.