Who is Dileep, Malayalam superstar arrested in South Indian actress' abduction case?

Malayalam actor Dileep, born as Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai on October 27, 1968, has excelled in the Mollywood industry as a film actor, singer, mimicry artist, producer as well as a businessman.

Read more: Police arrest Dileep || South Indian actress kidnap timeline

The 48-year-old actor, known for his comedy roles, has acted in over 130 movies in Malayalam. He had made his debut as an assistant director to Kamal and went on to become a popular mimicry artiste by stage shows, which opened the door for him to the world of cinema.

Also check: With actor Dileep's arrest, what will be the fate of his next movie Ramaleela?

After making a cameo appearance in Ennodishtam Koodamo in 1992, his character Cadet 'Kokku' Thomas in the 1993 movie Sainyam made him a notable actor. He became a hero with the film Manathe Kottaram in 1994. Within years, Dileep got the 'Janapriyanayakan' title, after getting tremendous support from the family audience in Kerala.

Dileep and his personal life

Dileep married actress Manju Warrier on October 20, 1998, when she was at the peak of her acting career. The couple has a daughter named Meenakshi. However, the wedlock of the celebrity couple ended on a rough note on January 31, 2015.

Even before the divorce, the actor was often linked in an alleged relationship with actress Kavya Madhavan, and putting rumour mills to rest, Dileep married actress Kavya on November 25, 2016 in Kochi.

Read more: Dileep's arrest sparks talk of looming custody battle with Manju Warrier over Meenakshi

Dileep and controversies

After divorcing Manju and marrying Kavya, Dileep's name surfaced time and again in connection with the abduction and alleged molestation case of a South Indian actress. Dileep and his friend Nadrishah were interrogated for over 13 hours on June 28, and the Janapriyanayakan was arrested on July 10 after Kerala Police collected 'irrefutable proof' of his involvement in the controversial case.

Best Dileep Movies

Some of the notable movies of Dileep include, Sallapam (1996), Ee Puzhayum Kadannu (1997), Punjabi House (1998), Udayapuram Sulthan (1999), Chandranudikkunna Dikhil (1999), Thenkasipattanam (2000), Joker (2000), Ee Parakkum Thalika (2001), Ishtam (2001), Mazhathullikkilukkam, Kalyanaraman, Meesa Madhavan, Kunjikoonan (2002), C.I.D. Moosa, Thilakkam (2003), Perumazhakkalam, Runway (2004), Chanthupottu (2005), Lion (2006), Twenty:20, Mulla (2008), Bodyguard (2010), Christian Brothers (2011), Mayamohini, My Boss (2012), Sound Thoma (2013), Chandrettan Evideya, Two Countries (2015) and the recent release Georgettan's Pooram.