| Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair | |
| Birthname: | N. Sreedharan Nair |
| Birth Date: | 1922 9, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Kottarakkara, Quilon, Travancore |
| Death Place: | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India |
| Years Active: | 1950–1986 |
| Spouse: | Vijayalakshmi Amma |
| Children: | 8, including Shobha Mohan and Sai Kumar |
N. Sreedharan Nair (11 September 1922 – 19 October 1986[1]), popularly known as Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair or just Kottarakkara, was an Indian actor, born as the son of Narayana Pillai and Ummini Amma in Kollam district, Kerala.[2] He appeared in Malayalam movies.
Sreedharan Nair won two Kerala state film awards. In 1970, he won the best actor award and in 1969 the second best actor award.[3]
He is best remembered for his role as Chempankunju in the national award winning film Chemmeen directed by Ramu Kariat. Other impressive performances were in the films Veluthampi Dalava (as Veluthampi Dalava), Thommante Makkal (1965) as Thomman, and Pazhassi Raja (1964) as Pazhassi Raja,[4] Viruthan Shanku (1968) by P. Venu. Sreedharan Nair is also known for playing the role of devil magician in the 1984 fantasy film My Dear Kuttichathan. Popular Malayalam actor Saikumar is his son.
Sreedharan Nair was born in 1922 to Padinjattinkara Korattiyode Narayana Pillai and Ummini Amma.[2] He had his primary education from Eswara vilasam higher secondary school. He started acting in dramas at the age of 10. He owned drama troupes Jayasree and Kalamandiram.[5]
He was known to be a very outspoken, stubborn man with a short temper. Once, he walked out of the set of Ara Nazhika Neram due to some disputes. He did not allow anyone seeking compromise to open the gate and enter into his house compound to discuss with him. When everyone was afraid to talk to him, someone suggested that actor Sathyan should approach Sreedharan Nair to resolve the issue. After talking with Sathyan, Sreedharan Nair set aside the disputes & agreed to act in the movie.
Sreedharan Nair married Vijayalakshmi Amma. They had eight children, Jaysree, Geetha, Laila, Shobha, Kala, Sai Kumar, Beena, and Shaila. His son Sai Kumar, daughters Shobha Mohan, Sylaja his son-in-law Mohan Kumar, his grandchildren Anil Pappan, Vinu Mohan[6] Anu Mohan, Vaishnavi Sai Kumar and his great-grandson Kailasveswar S Nair are all film/TV actors.