Master Chief Petty Officer Krishnan Nair

Born: 25 July 1938

Died: 16 November 1980

He better known by his stage name Jayan, was an Indian film actor, naval officer, stunt performer and cultural icon of the 1970s.
He starred in over 150 Malayalam films.
During his film career, he was primarily an action star and was particularly famous for his macho image and unique style.
He was reputed for his chauvinistic appeal and well known for performing stunts of a dangerous nature on his own.
By the late 1970s, he became the most popular superstar, lead actor and bankable star of Malayalam cinema and has been acclaimed as the first action hero of Malayalam cinema.
His superhuman image has also transformed him into an iconic figure of popular culture among Malayalis around the world, with widespread impersonations on stage and television programs based on his screen persona.
It was accompanied by a cartoon, email and SMS phenomenon in the early 2000s, portraying him as a comic superhero with unique quotes of superhuman strength attributed to the action star becoming widespread.
These movements were fuelled by a renewed fascination with his style of dialogue delivery and his machismo image.
These were claimed to honour his memories, but were also criticised for parodying the legendary actor years after his death.