{{short description|Indian film director}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Mani C Kappan.JPG | office = Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly | constituency = Pala | term_start = {{Start date|2019|10|09|df=yes}} | term_end = | predecessor = K. M. Mani | successor = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1956|05|30}} | birth_place = Pala, Kottayam, State of Travancore–Cochin<!--Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956--><br />(present day Kerala), India | spouse = | parents = Cherian J. Kappan | children = | party = *Kerala Democratic Party (2021-Present) *Nationalist Congress Party (until 2021) | known_for = {{Unbulleted_list|''Meleparambil Aanveedu''|''CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed.''|''Mannar Mathai Speaking''}} }} '''Mani Cherian Kappan''' (born 1956) is an Indian politician, film producer, film director and actor. He is the current Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the state of Kerala for the Pala constituency.
Kappan defeated Jose Tom Pulikkunnel of UDF during by-election in September 2019. This seat was vacant after the death of K. M. Mani, former Kerala Finance Minister. He was also the State Treasurer of the Nationalist Congress Party and had been the Convener of its Overseas Cell. He is the current MLA of Pala constituency. He is also a former international volleyball player who played along with the renowned player Jimmy George.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/mani-c-kappan-back-to-direction-malayalam-news-51592|title=Mani C Kappan, back to direction - Malayalam News|date=11 November 2009}}</ref> He is the producer of ''Meleparambil Aanveedu'', one of the highest grossing Malayalam films of the early 1990s. It made the list of "14 Greatest Malayalam Movies Ever" as compiled by Manorama News. He was also the producer and director of ''Mannar Mathai Speaking'', a popular Malayalam movie. He acted in around 25 movies mainly as antagonists during the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metromatinee.com/artist/Mani%20C%20Kappan-10633 |title=Mani C Kappan:Profile and Biography, Malayalam Movie Actor Mani C Kappan latest Photo Gallery | Video Gallery, Malayalam Movie Actor Mani C Kappan, Mani C Kappan Filmography, Mani C Kappan Films and Cinemas, Mani C Kappan Awards and Nominations |access-date=8 August 2014 |archive-date=9 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809121832/http://www.metromatinee.com/artist/Mani%20C%20Kappan-10633 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Kappan is the incumbent MLA from the Pala constituency. On all the earlier occasions he was defeated by K. M. Mani who had represented the seat from its inception in 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/aug/29/pala-bypoll-ldf-first-off-the-blocks-names-mani-c-kappan-as-candidate-2025788.html|title=Senior NCP leader Mani C Kappan as LDF candidate in Kerala's Pala bypoll|website=The New Indian Express|date=28 August 2019 |access-date=2020-04-15}}</ref> He is the son of a former Member of Parliament, Cherian J. Kappan, who was also a freedom fighter. Kappan is also a well-known figure in Malayalam cinema, having produced about ten films and acted in around two dozen films. He even has two films to his credit as a director including a bilingual film in Assamese and Bengali.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news18.com/news/politics/ncp-leader-mani-c-kappen-to-contest-as-ldf-candidate-in-pala-bypoll-in-kerala-2288135.html|title=NCP Leader Mani C Kappen to Contest as LDF Candidate in Pala Bypoll in Kerala|website=News18|date=28 August 2019|access-date=2019-09-27}}</ref>
==Pala Seat Controversy== The brawl over Pala Assembly seat, which began during the by-election last year and was rejuvenated once again with the unexpected entry of the KEC(M) into the LDF, is furious despite denial by the LDF leadership. The NCP's state leadership is also divided over the issue. On 22 February 2021 he formed a new political party named Nationalist Congress Kerala, with Mani C. Kappan as the President and Babu Karthikeyan as the Vice President.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://english.mathrubhumi.com/mobile/news/kerala/mani-c-kappan-announces-new-party-nck--1.5461082|title=Mani C Kappan announces new party 'NCK'|date=22 February 2021}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> His party had won one seat in 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Daily|first=Keralakaumudi|title=Set back for Jose K Mani in Pala; Mani C Kappan's lead crosses 5,000|url=https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=540739&u=set-back-for-jose-k-mani-in-pala-mani-c-kappan%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%E2%84%A2s-lead-crosses-5000-votes|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Keralakaumudi Daily|language=en}}</ref> In the election he defeated KEC(M) Chairman Jose K. Mani by more than 15,000 votes. Jose K. Mani's father K.M. Mani had held the constituency for fifty years.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hiran|first=U.|date=2021-05-02|title=Kappan underscores his clout in Pala|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kappan-underscores-his-clout-in-pala/article34467655.ece|access-date=2021-05-30|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
==Filmography==
===Acting=== * ''Kusruthikaatu'' (1995) as Ganga's Elder Brother * ''Mangalam Veettil Manaseswari Gupta'' (1995) as Govindankutty * ''Man of the Match'' (1996) as Abdul Rahman * ''Yuvathurki'' (1996) as J.K. * ''The Good Boys'' (1997) * ''Aalibaabayum Aarara Kallanmaarum'' (1998) as A. T. Alexander * ''Friends'' (1999) as Cyriac * ''Mark Antony''(2000) as Pankajakshan * ''Vaanchinathan'' (2001) as Mahesh Gupta * ''Nagaravadhu'' (2001) as Thripati *''Vajram'' (2004) * ''Kusruthi'' (2004) * ''Iruvattam Manavaatti'' (2005) as Bharathan * ''Kabadi Kabadi'' (2008) as Vishwanathan * ''Borolar Ghor'' (2012) as Bankimchandra
===Producer=== * ''Janam'' (1993) * ''Meleparambil Aanveedu'' (1993) *Nandhini Oppol (1993) *Vardhakya Puranam (1993) * ''CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed.'' (1994) *''Mangalam Veettil Manaseswari Gupta'' (1995) * ''Mannar Mathai Speaking'' (1995) * ''Kusruthikaatu'' (1995) * ''Man of the Match'' (1996) * ''Nagaravadhu'' (2001) *Kabadi Kabadi (2008) *''Borolar Ghor'' (2012)
===Direction=== * ''Mannar Mathai Speaking'' (1995) * ''Borolar Ghor'' (2012)
==Television career== * ''Dathuputhri'' (Mazhavil Manorama), Year: 2015 *''Chilluivilakku''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|1334458}} *[http://en.msidb.org/displayProfile.php?category=actors&artist=Mani%20C%20Kappan Mani C Kappan at MSI]
{{Ramji Rao Speaking}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kappan, Mani C.}} Category:Male actors in Malayalam cinema Category:Indian male film actors Category:Male actors from Kottayam Category:Living people Category:20th-century Indian male actors Category:21st-century Indian male actors Category:People from Pala, Kerala Category:1956 births Category:Malayalam film producers Category:Malayalam film directors Category:Male actors in Malayalam television Category:Indian male television actors Category:Film producers from Kerala Category:Film directors from Kottayam district Category:Nationalist Congress Party politicians from Kerala Category:Kerala MLAs 2016–2021 Category:Kerala MLAs 2026–2031