Soubin Shahir

Biography

Soubin Shahir is a National Film Award-winning and Kerala State Film Award-winning Indian actor, film director, and producer widely celebrated as a pivotal figure in the creative golden age of contemporary Malayalam cinema. Raised in Fort Kochi with deep roots in Malayalam theater and cinema, Shahir spent over a decade working as an assistant director under master filmmakers like Siddique, Fazil, and Amal Neerad. He made his on-screen breakthrough with effortless comic timing in Alphonse Puthren's cultural phenomenon Premam (2015 as the eccentric physical training teacher Shivan Sir), followed by memorable character roles in Charlie (2015) and Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016). In 2017, Shahir made a sensational directorial debut with the critically acclaimed drama Parava, which showcased the pigeon-racing subculture of Mattancherry and won dual Kerala State Film Awards. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his deeply moving, heartbreaking performance as a fragile, caring son in Zakariya Mohammed's Sudani from Nigeria (2018). Shahir anchored landmark films including Kumbalangi Nights (2019 as Saji, earning universal acclaim), Virus (2019), Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019), and Bheeshma Parvam (2022). In 2024, Shahir produced and starred as Siju David 'Kuttan' in Chidambaram's record-smashing survival thriller Manjummel Boys, which grossed over ₹240 crore to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film in history. Soubin Shahir represents the vibrant vanguard of authentic, progressive Indian filmmaking.