Kunchacko Boban is an Indian actor and producer. He is also recognised as “Chackochan” or affectionately referred to as the “Chocolate Boy” due to his romantic roles in the films. His career spans over two decades in the Malayalam film industry, where he appeared in over 100 films.
Wiki/Biography
Kunchacko Boban was born on Tuesday, 2 November 1976 (age 47 years; as of 2023), in a Syro Malabar Catholic family in Alappuzha, Kerala, India. His zodiac sign is Scorpio. He pursued his education at St. Berchmans College, Changanassery and graduated with a first-class degree in B.Com from Santana Dharma College, Kerala, India. Additionally, he displayed a passion for sports, excelling in cricket, table tennis and basketball, with a particular talent for badminton. Furthermore, he also received training in Bharatanatyam under Amurtham Gopinath during his childhood days.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Weight (approx.): 76 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Kunchacko Boban in a still from his Christmas special appearance in the show Chankanu Chakochan
Family
Kunchacko Boban is a member of the Kunchacko family and has roots in the Maliampurakal family, known for owning Kerala’s first film studio, Udaya Studios. This studio holds a significant place in the history of the Malayalam film industry and is often regarded as this industry’s birthplace.
Parents & Siblings
Boban was born to Boban Kunchacko and Molly Boban. His father was a film producer, actor, director and screenwriter while his mother was a homemaker.
Kunchacko Boban’s father Boban Kunchacko and mother Molly Boban
Boban has two younger sisters, Anu and Minu.
Kunchacko Boban with his sisters, Anu and Minu
Wife & Children
Boban tied the knot with Priya Ann Samuel after a few years of courtship. Their wedding ceremony occurred on 2 April 2005, at the Little Syro Catholic Church in Ernakulam. The couple has a son together, Izahaak Boban Kunchacko, who was born on 16 April 2019. The baptism of their son took place on 30 June 2019, and many well-known personalities from the Malayalam film industry graced the event with their presence.
Kunchacko Boban with Priya Ann Samuel and their son Izahaak Boban
Other Relatives
Boban is the grandson of Kunchacko, a renowned film producer in the Malayalam film industry and the founder of Udaya Studios.
Kunchacko Boban’s grandfather
Additionally, he is the grandnephew of Navodaya Appachan of Navodaya Studios and shares a family connection with Jijo Punnose, who is also a film director.
Relationships/Affairs
Kunchacko’s first encounter with Priya was when she and her friends approached Boban for an autograph in the 90s. Following the initial meeting, their love blossomed, and they exchanged letters over the years before eventually getting married in 2005.
Address
11 C, Abad Silver Crest, S C Bose Road, Jawahar Nagar, Kadavanthara, Kochi-682 020
Signature/Autograph
Kunchacko Boban’s Autograph
Career
Film
Kunchacko Boban made his debut in the 1997 film Aniyathipraavu directed by Fazil and co-starring Shalini. The film became a massive hit and set new records in Malayalam cinema.
Poster of Kunchacko Boban’s debut film- Aniyathipraavu
Subsequently, he had a brief role in Harikrishnans (1998) which was the top-grossing Malayalam film of that year.
Poster of the film- Harikrishnans
Kunchacko and Shalini teamed up again for successful romantic films like Nakshathrathaarattu (1998), Niram (1999), and Prem Poojari (1999). He also appeared in other significant box-office successful films like Priyam (2000), Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (2000), Dosth (2001), Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka (2001) and Kalyanaraman (2002).
Poster of the film- Narendran Makan Jayakanthan Vaka
Following his marriage in 2005, Boban decided to step away from the film industry for a while. He returned to acting in 2008 with a guest appearance in Twenty: 20 song and later appeared in Shafi’s film titled LollyPop. Boban truly made his return in 2009 with V K Prakash’s comedy film Gulumal: The Escape, which was a commercial success.
Poster of the film Gulumal- The Escape
His performances in critically acclaimed films like Traffic (2011), How Old Are You (2014), Take Off (2017), Vettah (2016), Virus (2019), Anjaam Pathiraa (2020), Nayattu (2021), Pada (2022), and Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022) received widespread appreciation. In 2015, Boban played a role in Dr. Biju’s film Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal also known as Birds with Large Wings, which shed light on the devasting impact of endosulfan usage on villages in Northern Kerala. This film gained international recognition and was showcased at many prestigious events such as the United Nations, The Toronto Film Festival, The New York Indian Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India. Valia Chirakulla Pakshikal received the national award for the best film focusing on environmental preservation.
Poster of Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal
In 2016, Kunchacko Boban revived Udaya Pictures, the renowned Malayalam film production company. His first hit venture as a producer under this revived film label was Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho.
Controversies
Controversy with ‘Padmini’ film producer
Kunchacko Boban’s film Padmini hit theatres on 24 July 2023 and achieved significant success. However, the film’s producer expressed his discontent on social media about how the Malayalam actor received a payment of Rs 2.5 crore for a 25-day shooting schedule while refraining from any Television interviews or promotional appearances. The producer wrote an Instagram post stating,
But as a film maker and content creator it’s the theater response that matters and that’s where we needed the charm of stardom from its lead actor to get the first foot fall into theaters. For PADMINI, the lead actor who took home 2.5 crores gave zero TV interviews, participated in zero TV programs/promotions. The entire promotion plan and chart of the programs were rejected because the marketing consultant who was appointed by the actor’s wife made a verdict watching the raw footage of the movie. It’s the same S*** what happened to the last 2-3 producers of his movies. So someone has to talk and here we are.”
he added,
This won’t happen to a movie where this actor is a co-producer. He will sit through every TV interview and will be a guest in every TV show but when it’s an external producer he cares the least. Because for him, it’s more fun to be in Europe chilling with friends than promoting the film where he took home 2.5 crores for 25 days of shoot. In a state where the exibitors protest for movies not getting enough run, it matters why movies are not getting proper recognition.”
Boban chose to remain silent regarding the issue and refrained from making any statements.
The controversy surrounding the film poster of “Nna Thaan Case Kodu”
Kunchacko’s film “Nna Thaan Case Kodu” sparked controversy after its poster release. The poster pictured potholes on Keralan roads during the time when the state government was receiving criticism for the condition of the roads. The slogan on the poster read, “There are potholes on the road. But please come to the theatre.” The slogan led to many hate campaigns against the actor and the film.
Cyber Attacks after poster release of the film “Chera”
During the release of the film Chera, Kunchacko faced a lot of criticism due to the poster of the film. The image on the poster displayed was similar to that of Jesus lying on his mother’s lap after being taken down from the cross which led to Kunchacko being the victim of cyber attacks and receiving backlash for the film. Many thought the film’s name Chera insulted Christian sentiments, and Kunchacko’s comment section was filled with hate comments. Some alleged that the aim of Malayalam cinema is to insult the faith of Christians.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Asianet Film Award for Best Star Pair (shared with Shalini) for Niram in 1999.
- Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his role in the film Ee Snehatheerathu in 2004.
- Kerala Film Critics Association Awards for Second Best Actor for Ee Snehatheerathu in 2004.
- Jayan Smaraka Award for Best Young Actor for the film Elsamma Enna Aankutty in 2010.
- NANA Film Awards for Special Jury Award for the film Elsamma Enna Aankutty in 2010.
- Kerala Kaumudi Awards for Youth Icon for various films in 2010.
- Vayalar Rama Varma Awards for Best Actor for the film Elsamma Enna Aankutty in 2010.
- Ramu Kariat Awards Popular Actor for various films in 2010.
- Mathrubhumi Film Awards for Best Star Pair for the film Sakudumbam Shyamala in 2010.
- Vanitha Film Awards Best Star Pair for Mummy & Me in 2010.
- Asianet Film Awards Best Star Pair for Mummy & Me in 2010.
- Amrita FEFKA Film Awards Yuva Keerthi Award for various films in 2011.
- Asianet Film Awards Youth Icon of the Year for various films in 2011.
- Amrita FEFKA Film Awards Popular Actor for Ordinary and Mallu Singh in 2012.
- Asianet Film Awards Special Jury Award for Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum and Romans in 2012.
- South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role (Malayalam) for the film Seniors in 2012.
- Jai Hind TV Awards for various films in 2013.
- Asianet Film Awards Youth Icon of the Year for various films in 2014.
- Film Life Awards Best Actor for the film Vettah in 2016.
- Asiavision Awards Man of the Year for Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho and Vettah in 2016.
- Queensland Indian International Film Festival Best Actor for the film Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal in 2017.
- North American Film Awards North American Film Awards for the film Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho in 2017.
- Asianet Comedy Awards Versatile Actor for various films in 2017.
- Malayala Puraskar Samiti Best Actor for the films Take Off and Ramante Edanthottam in 2018.
- North American Film Awards Popular Hero of the Year for the films Take Off and Ramante Edanthottam in 2018.
- Vanitha Film Awards Best Family Hero for the films Take Off and Ramante Edanthottam in 2018.
- Asianet Film Awards Best Actor critics for the films Take Off, Ramante Edanthottam and Varnyathil Aashanka in 2018.
- CPC Cine Awards Special Honorary Award for Udaya Studios and its contribution towards Malayalam cinema in 2020.
- Vanitha Film Awards Socially Responsible Actor for the film Virus in 2020.
- South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor Critics (Malayalam) for the film Anjaam Pathiraa in 2020.
- Indian Film Institute Best Actor for the films Nna Thaan Case Kodu, Ariyippu and Pada in 2022.
- Kerala State Film Awards Special Jury Mention (Acting) for the film Nna Thaan Case Kodu in 2023.
Car Collection
- Land Rover Defender
Actor Kunchacko Boban’s Land Rover Defender
Facts/Trivia
- Kunchacko’s grandfather was also a car enthusiast who owned a 1955 Studebaker Commander, registration number KRY 2464, which belongs to Kunchacko of Udaya Studios. The car has been with the family for over 60 years.
- Kunchacko Boban made it into the Karnataka State syllabus textbook in 2022, appearing as a postman. The image was sourced from his role as Raghunandan, a postman, in the film Oridathoru Postman. The Karnataka State Government. Boban posted an article about the matter on Instagram, adding a humorous comment. His post garnered numerous amusing comments and reactions. However, the Karnataka state education authorities clarified that the material the actor was discussing did not come from any of the government’s official textbooks used in state syllabus schools. Sources in the government department commented,
It is sourced from a book of a private publisher based out of Hubli. It is not part of the curriculum,”
- During his early years, Kunchacko got training and acquired skills in karate.
- It is not widely recognised that Kunchacko Boban made his debut as a child artist in the film “Dhanya” in 1981, which also starred Mohanlal, Srividya and Nedumudi Venu.
- In 2015, Kunchacko Boban integrated a medical facility named Al Fasht, which is dedicated towards children with autism in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
- He also appeared on the cover of Filmfare magazine in 1999.
- In his debut film Aniyathipravu, Kunchacko Boban didn’t provide his own voice for the character. Instead, Krishna Chandran from Rathiniverdam fame lent his voice to Kunchacko Boban’s character in the film.
- Kunchacko’s all-time favourite food is Karimeen (fried fish).
- On the 25th anniversary of Kunchacko’s debut film Aniyathipraavu, Boban purchased the Hero Honda Red bike that his character Sudhi used in the film. In an Instagram post, he wrote,
The Bike is Back. After 25 years. Thank you all for all the love. Thank you Bony for keeping it immaculate. Thank you for making everything possible.”
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
