Priyadarshan, born on January 30, 1957, is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Malayalam and Hindi cinema. He was a pioneer in introducing advanced techniques like rich color grading, clear sound, and quality dubbing to the Indian film industry through his early Malayalam films.

Priyadarshan began his career in the early 1980s in Malayalam cinema and remained active throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In the 2000s, he transitioned to Bollywood (Hindi-language cinema) and continued working in the industry for the entire decade. However, in 2013, he announced that Rangrezz would be his last Hindi film for a while and decided to shift his focus back to Malayalam cinema.

Some of Priyadarshan's most notable films include Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Thalavattam, Vellanakalude Nadu, Chithram, Vandanam, Kilukkam, Abhimanyu, Mithunam, Thenmavin Kombath, Kaalapaani, and Chandralekha.

He is renowned for adapting Malayalam films into Hindi, both his own works and those of other filmmakers. Some of his notable Bollywood adaptations include Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, Garam Masala, Bhagam Bhag, Chup Chup Ke, De Dana Dan, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa.

During his early years, Priyadarshan received his education at Government Model School in Trivandrum and later obtained a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University College Trivandrum. His father's occupation as a college librarian sparked his interest in books, and he became an avid reader during his teenage years. While in college, he started writing short plays and skits for All India Radio. Priyadarshan was influenced by the films of director P. Venu, and his circle of friends included notable names such as Mohanlal, M. G. Sreekumar, Suresh Kumar, Sanal Kumar, Jagadish, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Ashok Kumar. Together with Mohanlal and his friends, he ventured to Chennai (formerly Madras) in search of opportunities in the film industry. Priyadarshan got a chance to work as an assistant scriptwriter in a couple of films and eventually started writing scripts himself, with some achieving success. However, he eventually returned to Kerala, his home state.

Priyadarshan's contribution to Indian cinema, his ability to blend humor and social commentary, and his talent for storytelling have earned him a prominent place in the film industry.