Soman Priyadarshan Nair is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning almost three decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Though he began his career in Malayalam cinema in 1984, Priyadarshan has been mainly active in Hindi cinema for the past decade. Best known for his comedy films, Priyadrshan has also tried his hand at action and thriller films from time to time. His collaborations with Mohanlal were popular in Malayalam cinema during the 1980s and 1990s, with films such as Poochakkoru Mookkuthi, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Thalavattam, Vellanakalude Nadu, Chithram, Vandanam, Kilukkam, ;Abhimanyu, Mithunam, Thenmavin Kombath, and Kala Pani. Actors he has worked with over several films include Kuthiravattam Pappu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Nedumudi Venu, Sreenivasan, Sukumari, and Mukesh.