Jayan – Biography

Krishnan Nair, July 25, 1939 – November 16, 1980), better known by his stage name Jayan, was an Indian film actor, naval officer, stunt performer and cultural icon of the 1970s. He has starred in over 120 Malayalam films. During his film career, he was primarily an action star and was particularly famous for his macho image and unique style. He was reputed for his chauvinistic appeal, masculine persona and well known for performing stunts of dangerous nature on his own. By late 1970s, he became the most popular lead actor and bankable star of Malayalam cinema and has been acclaimed as the first action hero of Malayalam cinema.

Jayan was a Master Chief Petty Officer in the Indian Navy, before he came to films and rose to fame as an actor in a very short time, appearing as an action hero in numerous films during the 1970s. He died at the age of 41, at the peak of his popularity, as a result of an accident while filming a dangerous stunt involving a flying helicopter that crashed while he was hanging on to it. He has since then become a legendary symbol of daredevilry and masculinity with numerous inspirations, imitations, his unfading popularity being widely used to promote new-age movies, actors and brands and an ever-growing fan-base spanning generations.

Jayan started his career with acting in minor roles. His first film was Shapa Moksham (1974). Jayan got his first major break with Thacholi Ambu (1978) in which he acted as a co-hero. What made Jayan a superstar was his negative hero role in Sarapanjaram (1979). He catapulted to fame riding on Machismo roles that endeared him to the masses, and he established himself as one of the most popular Malayalam film actors of his time. He is also touted as the first action hero in Malayalam cinema. Jayan was very different from the typical Malayalam film stars of the then time in the sense that he had a good physique that befitted an action hero. With Jayan the advent of Serious Action movies began. The usual theme of family melodrama and "Romance-Songs-Running-in-between-trees" ended. Movies exploited his masculine physique and often could one see him appeared bare-chest in most of the scenes. His onscreen dress code, most famous for the Elvis bellbottoms, his masculine image and the nature of his death turned him into something of a legend in Kerala. Jayan was also known for having a very different and unique method of dialogue delivery and he has contributed many memorable lines to Malayalam film history. In the late '90s and the early part of the 21st century, there was a resurgence in the popularity of Jayan in Kerala. A whole new generation of people (mostly teenagers) developed a Jayan "fad" and his old movies came into prominence again. This resurgence was mostly because of popular mimicry stage artists in the State, whose imitations of the star quickly caught on, and very soon, similar shows became common place in popular culture, mostly in college stage events, television programs and mimicry stage shows. This fad quickly came under criticism since most of them made a mockery of the star's typical mannerisms.

Jayan was killed in an accident on 16th November 1980, on the sets of the movie Kolilakkam. He was 42 then and at the height of his popularity. Jayan always did the stunts himself, and for this movie he was performing a particularly dangerous stunt that involved him boarding an airborne helicopter from a moving motorbike. The shot was accepted by the director in the first take, but some of Jayan colleagues insisted on a re-take as they were not satisfied with its perfection. During the re-take, he fell off the helicopter and succumbed to his injuries. There have been some conspiracy theories regarding the circumstances of his death. There are unverified claims that some colleagues who were jealous of his popularity conspired against him, though none have been proven. The memories of this popular star today stands immortalized in Malayalam film history with his loud, colourful, dress code, machismo mannerisms and unique speaking style together with the sudden resurgence of popularity nearly two decades after his death. Madhu, a famous actor prominent in the 70s once said in an interview "Jayan will be masculine and young forever. No one can see him as an old man ever".