Rosshan Andrrews

Biography

Rosshan Andrrews is an Indian filmmaker best known for his work in Malayalam cinema. Born on January 6, 1975, he has established himself as a director with a diverse filmography spanning social dramas, thrillers, action films, romantic stories and period adventures. He has also worked as a writer and actor in selected projects.

Early Life and Education

Rosshan Andrrews was born in Kerala and grew up in Thrissur. He studied at St. Aloysius School in Thrissur and later attended Cochin College in Ernakulam. His interest in cinema eventually led him toward filmmaking, where he began his professional career as an assistant director.

Before becoming an independent director, Andrrews worked as an assistant director on films including Hitler Brothers (1997), Ayal Kadha Ezhuthukayanu (1998) and Narasimham (2000). These early experiences helped him gain practical knowledge of filmmaking and develop his own directorial approach.

Directorial Debut

Rosshan Andrrews made his directorial debut with Udayananu Tharam in 2005, starring Mohanlal, Meena and Sreenivasan. The film was a comedy-drama set against the Malayalam film industry and became an important early success in his career. Andrrews has later credited Sreenivasan, who wrote and acted in the film, as an important influence on his journey as a filmmaker.

His second film, Notebook (2006), moved into more serious territory. Starring newcomers including Mariya Roy, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Roma, the film dealt with teenage relationships and difficult social issues. It also helped establish Andrrews as a filmmaker willing to explore subjects beyond conventional commercial cinema.

Career and Major Films

Following Notebook, Andrrews directed Evidam Swargamanu (2009), a drama featuring Mohanlal. He subsequently directed Casanovva (2012), an action-romantic film starring Mohanlal.

One of the major turning points in his career came with Mumbai Police (2013). The crime thriller, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jayasurya and Rahman, was praised for its suspenseful storytelling and unconventional narrative. It became one of the notable Malayalam thrillers of its period and demonstrated Andrrews' ability to handle complex characters and dramatic revelations.

In 2014, he directed How Old Are You?, starring Manju Warrier in her return to leading roles after a long absence from cinema. The film focused on a middle-aged woman's personal transformation and her effort to regain confidence and independence. Its success led to a Tamil remake, 36 Vayadhinile, directed by Andrrews himself and starring Jyothika in 2015.

He followed this with School Bus (2016), a Malayalam thriller-drama, and later made one of his largest-scale productions with Kayamkulam Kochunni (2018). The period adventure, starring Nivin Pauly and Mohanlal, was a major commercial success and became one of the prominent films of Andrrews' career.

In 2019, he directed Prathi Poovankozhi, starring Manju Warrier, and also appeared in the film as an actor. He returned to the thriller genre with Salute (2022), starring Dulquer Salmaan, followed by the comedy-drama Saturday Night in the same year.

Hindi Cinema

Rosshan Andrrews expanded into Hindi cinema with Deva (2025), starring Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde. The action thriller marked his Hindi directorial debut. The film was based on the story of his Malayalam film Mumbai Police, with Bobby-Sanjay associated with the screenplay/story development.

The move into Hindi cinema represented an important new stage in Andrrews' career, bringing his experience in Malayalam thrillers and dramatic storytelling to a wider audience.

Filmography

As a director, his major films include:

• Udayananu Tharam (2005)
• Notebook (2006)
• Evidam Swargamanu (2009)
• Casanovva (2012)
• Mumbai Police (2013)
• How Old Are You? (2014)
• 36 Vayadhinile (2015, Tamil)
• School Bus (2016)
• Kayamkulam Kochunni (2018)
• Prathi Poovankozhi (2019)
• Salute (2022)
• Saturday Night (2022)
• Deva (2025, Hindi)

Personal Life

Rosshan Andrrews is married to Ancy Joseph, and they have three children. Alongside directing, he has received credit as a writer and actor in a limited number of projects.