Sudheer Kumar , better known by his stage name Maniyanpilla Raju, is an Indian film actor and producer who appears in Malayalam films. His stage name is derived from the name of the character he played in the film Maniyanpilla Adhava Maniyanpilla (1981), his break-through role.His debut film was Mohiniyattam (1976) directed by Sreekumaran Thampi. He has played a variety of roles as a character actor, starring in over 400 films.Raju was born as youngest among four in 1955 to Shekharan Nair and Saraswati Amma at Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram. He has two sisters, Ramani, Radha and a brother surendran. He had his primary education from Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Thiruvananthapuram. He did pre university degree in Victory Tutorial College. He learned diploma in acting course during 1973–1975 from Adyar Film Institute, Chennai. He wrote his autobiography Chirichum Chirippichum in 2012.