Famous for his roles in such Indian Malayalam-language films as Boeing Boeing (1985), Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), and In Harihar Nagar (1990), he is also notable for his Filmfare Award-winning work as the producer of the 2007 Malayalam feature Katha Parayumpol.
Before making his screen acting debut in the 1982 movie Balloon, he completed degrees at both Sree Narayana College, Kollam and Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram.
In 2013, he won a Kerala Film Critics Association Award for his portrayal of the character Joy in the Malayalam film English: An Autumn in London.
The son of theatrical director O. Madhavan and stage and screen actress Vijayakumari, he spent his youth in Kollam, Kerala, India. With his first wife, actress Saritha, he has sons named Tejas and Shravan; he later married Dubai-born dancer Methil Devika.
He co-starred with Mammooty in Dinarathrangal, Thaniyavarthanam, and several other popular feature films.