Early life

Hariharan was born and raised in Calicut, Kerala in a humble upbringing. He completed his early education in his hometown and obtained a Diploma in Arts from the Universal Arts College. He began his career as an art instructor in a public school in Kerala during which time he also pursued his passion for theater by writing plays and performing on stage. He was also a film critic and wrote for various Malayalam periodicals. During this period, he developed a strong interest in cinema which led him to move to Chennai to pursue a career in films in 1965. He worked as an assistant in a variety of different areas including camera, art, editing, and direction. He assisted several south Indian filmmakers including M.S. Money, M. Krishnan Nair, S.S. Rajan, C.V. Sridhar, A.B. Raj, P.B. Unni, U. Rajagopal, and J. D. Thottan. 

Filmmaking career

His first directorial venture, ‘Ladies Hostel’, in 1973 starring legendary actor Prem Nazir, was a mainstream success and won critical acclaim. It was one of the first Malayalam full-length comedy films. This film was followed by a plethora of successful films like ‘Ayalathe Sundari’, ‘Rajahamsam’, ‘Edavazhiyilepoocha Mindapoocha’, ‘Bhoomidevi Pushpiniyayi’, ‘Valarthumrugangal’, ‘Sarapancharam’, ‘Vellam’, ‘Panchagni’, ‘Nakhakshathangal’, ‘Aranyakam’, ‘Amritamgamaya’, ‘Parinayam’, ‘Sargam’, ‘Oru Vadakkan Veera Gaadha’, ‘Mayoogham’, ‘Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja’, ‘Ezhamathe Varavu’ among others in Malayalam. He also directed films in Hindi and Tamil. 

His first film to be selected for the Indian Panorama section of the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was ‘Valarthumrugangal’ in 1982. It was a film based on the hardships faced behind the ring by circus artists. His film ‘Panchagni’, made in 1985, was also selected at IFFI in the Indian Panorama section. Hariharan received the Filmfare Award for best director for this film. It also brought the best actress award for its female lead, Geetha, in the Pyongyang Film Festival held in North Korea. The film portrayed the life of a woman who struggled during the fall of Naxalism in Kerala. The same year, Monisha, the female lead of his film, ‘Nakhakshathangal’, received the National Award for best actress. Set in the backdrop of the famous Guruvayoor temple, the film dealt with the theme of adolescent love. Legendary singer K. S. Chithra also won a National Award for a song in Nakhakshathangal.

Hariharan’s ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragaadha’ was selected for the Indian Panorama in 1989. Besides bagging eight Kerala State Awards and National Awards, it also won the Filmfare and Ramu Kariat Awards among others. Prominent Malayalam actor, Mammotty, who played the lead role in the film won his first National Award for his role as Chandu Chekavar, a popular martial artist from Kerala folklore. With elements of Kalari, the famous martial art form of Kerala, the film presented a new perspective on a popular folklore. At the second film festival held at Pyongyang in Korea, the Prize (Diploma) of the committee for cultural relations with foreign countries was conferred upon ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragaadha’ and Hariharan was also given a special mention. 

‘Sargam’, produced and directed by Hariharan received the National Award for ‘the best popular movie providing wholesome entertainment’ in 1993 and was also selected for the Indian Panorama section of IFFI. Hariharan received the Kerala State Award for the best director for the film. It also participated in the Fukuoka Film Festival in Japan and the International Film Festival in France the same year. Showcasing the healing power of classical music, the film was a musical family drama set in a rural backdrop. It was showcased in the retrospective section called ‘Musical Journey of Indian Cinema’ at the IFFI in 2015. 

Hariharan’s ‘Parinayam’ was the inaugural film in the Indian Panorama in 1995. It also won the National Award for the best film addressing social issues and the Kerala State Award for the best film. Hariharan also received the Kerala State Award and Filmfare Award for the best director for the film. His following film, ‘Ennu Swantham Janakikutty’ was the inaugural film in the Pyongyang Film Festival, North Korea in 2000. He visited the country as a cultural representative from India. The film was also showcased in the London Film Festival. 

Hariharan’s film, ‘Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja’ was an epic historical portrayal of the life of a king from north Kerala, who had fought against the British forces between 1796 and 1805. His rebellion was one of the first documented fights for independence preceding even the sepoy mutiny of 1857. The film was a mainstream and critical success and won several accolades including the National Award for the best feature film in Malayalam. Hariharan received Kerala State Award and Filmfare Award for best director for the film. This film also participated in many international film festivals including Jagran Film Festival, International Film Festival of Kerala, and Fukuoka Film Festival in Japan. 

Film production

Hariharan produced and directed several films including Yagaswam (1978), Poochasanyasi, Nakhakshathangal (1986), Sargam (1992), Prem Poojari (1999) and Ezhamathe Varavu (2013). His film ‘Sargam’ received the National Award for ‘the best popular movie providing wholesome entertainment’ in 1993.

Musical journey

Trained in classical music from a young age, Hariharan has a special bond with melody and poetry, which can be observed in the music of his films. Through his films, Hariharan has made significant contributions to the music industry in Malayalam cinema. As a filmmaker, Hariharan has worked with legendary south Indian composers including Baburaj, Devarajan, M. S. Vishwanathan, Ilaiyaraja, and several others. He has also collaborated with north Indian composers including Salil Chowdhury, Ravindra Jain, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Ragunath Seth, Uttam Singh and his most celebrated musical partner, Ravi Shankar Sharma aka Ravi Bombay. Despite having composed for seminal films like ‘Chaudvi Ka Chand’ (1960), ‘Nikaah’ (1982), and ‘Gumraah’ (1963), Ravi received his first National Award for his collaboration with Hariharan on ‘Parinayam’ (1994). Hariharan’s ‘Nakhakshathangal’ and ‘Sargam’ also fetched him Kerala State Awards. 

The songs in Hariharan’s films have been immensely popular for their musical quality, melody, and lyrics. Music plays a significant role in his films, and deeply engages the audience emotionally to the story telling. The songs in his films are themselves timeless classics that are revered through generations. His collaborators among lyricists include the legends Vayalar Ramavarma, O. N. V. Kurup, Girish Puthenchery, and Yusuf Ali Kechery among others.

Hariharan’s passion for music led him to make his own debut as a music composer for  his film, ‘Ezhamathe Varavu’ in 2013.

Leadership roles in the film industry

Hariharan was a part of the jury for the National and State Awards on several occasions. He headed the 12-member jury for selecting India’s entry to the Oscars in 2014. He was also a committee member of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in 1994. He was the chairman of Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) from 1998 to 2000 during which time he arranged a grand concert event, ‘Sangeetha Sangamam’,  in Calicut to raise funds for the association. Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla were the chief guests for the event along with several prominent Malayalam film dignitaries including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, and Yesudas. A portion of the money raised was donated to Baburaj Music Academy in Calicut, of which Hariharan is the current chairman. 

Hariharan was invited as a special guest by PHDCCI Film Tourism Festival in Jaipur for the panel discussion on “Deep Focus: Making Rajasthan A Cinema Hub”. He was also invited as a special guest to the Jaipur International Film Festival on multiple occasions.

Several prolific Malayalam filmmakers such as Sathyan Anthikkad, Bhadran, M. Padmakumar, G. S. Vijayan, Babu Pisharody among others have trained under Hariharan as assistant directors.