Jithu Madhavan: His Age, Biography, Movies, Career, Family and Rise to Fame

September 10, 2026 Alena Shek

Jithu Madhavan has quickly become one of the most interesting young filmmakers in Indian cinema. After making his directorial debut with Romancham, he followed it with Aavesham, a film that turned him into one of the most recognizable new voices in Malayalam cinema.

What makes Jithu’s career particularly interesting is how quickly it has developed. He moved from working behind the scenes to directing two successful films and then expanded his work into screenwriting and Tamil cinema.

His journey also includes an interesting connection with filmmaker Chidambaram through Balan: The Boy and a major upcoming project with Tamil star Suriya.

So, who is Jithu Madhavan? How old is he, what movies has he worked on, and what is known about his family and personal life? Here is everything you need to know about the filmmaker.

Table of Contents

Jithu Madhavan Quick Bio

Detail	Information
Full Name	Jithu Madhavan
Date of Birth	January 15, 1993
Age	33 years old
Profession	Film Director and Writer
Industry	Malayalam Cinema
Active Since	2016
Directorial Debut	Romancham
Directorial Debut Year	2023
Known For	Romancham, Aavesham
Spouse	Shifina Babin Pakker
Upcoming Tamil Film	Scene
Known Collaborator	Sushin Shyam
Social Media	Instagram

Note: Age is based on the reported January 15, 1993 birth date and the current year.

Who Is Jithu Madhavan?

Jithu Madhavan is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter best known for bringing a distinctive mix of comedy, youthful energy and unusual characters to Malayalam cinema.

Although he became widely known after directing Romancham, his filmmaking journey started several years earlier. He worked as an assistant director on the Malayalam film Guppy in 2016, gaining experience before eventually stepping into the director’s chair himself.

His first film as a director, Romancham, arrived in 2023. The horror-comedy quickly attracted attention and established Jithu as a filmmaker to watch.

He then directed Aavesham in 2024, taking his style in a bigger and more commercially ambitious direction.

Jithu Madhavan Age and Early Career

Jithu Madhavan was born on January 15, 1993, according to publicly available biographical information. That makes him 33 years old in 2026.

Rather than entering the industry immediately as a director, Jithu spent time learning the filmmaking process from behind the camera.

His early credited work includes serving as an assistant on Guppy, a Malayalam film released in 2016. That experience gave him an opportunity to understand the practical side of filmmaking before developing his own projects.

For a young filmmaker, that period was important. Directing a feature film requires much more than having a good story idea. It involves understanding actors, cinematography, editing, music, production and the rhythm of a complete film.

Jithu’s later work suggests that those early experiences helped him develop a strong understanding of commercial Malayalam cinema.

Jithu Madhavan’s Directorial Debut With Romancham

Jithu Madhavan made his directorial debut with Romancham in 2023.

The film was a horror comedy built around a group of young men and a Ouija board. Instead of relying only on traditional horror elements, the movie combined supernatural situations with friendship, humor and everyday chaos.

That combination helped Romancham stand out.

For Jithu, the film was more than simply his first movie as a director. It introduced audiences to his filmmaking personality.

The success and popularity of Romancham also gave him the opportunity to work on a much larger project soon afterward.

Aavesham Made Jithu Madhavan a Major Name

In 2024, Jithu Madhavan returned with Aavesham, starring Fahadh Faasil, Hipzster, Mithun Jai Shankar and Roshan Shahnavaz.

The film followed three college students whose attempt to find protection from local trouble leads them to a larger-than-life gangster named Ranga, played by Fahadh Faasil.

Aavesham became one of the major Malayalam releases of 2024 and brought Jithu a much wider audience.

The film also demonstrated that the filmmaker could take the energy and humor of Romancham and apply it to a completely different story.

Fahadh Faasil’s performance as Ranga became one of the film’s biggest talking points, while Jithu’s direction helped create the distinctive tone that made the movie memorable.

The success of Aavesham firmly established Jithu as one of the younger directors attracting attention in Malayalam cinema.

Jithu Madhavan as a Screenwriter

Jithu is not only a director. He has also worked as a writer on several projects.

After directing Romancham and Aavesham, he continued developing stories outside his own directorial projects.

One notable example is Balan: The Boy, which was directed by Chidambaram and written by Jithu Madhavan.

Interestingly, Jithu had originally considered directing the film himself.

In a 2026 interview with Onmanorama, Jithu explained that the basic story had been in his mind while he was making Romancham. He initially intended to work on it after that film, but producer Anwar Rasheed encouraged him to make Aavesham first.

Jithu eventually connected with Chidambaram, and the two filmmakers developed the screenplay together.

Looking back, Jithu has said that he was happy Chidambaram directed the film because the collaboration allowed the story to become something different from what he might have made on his own.

Jithu Madhavan’s Family and Wife

Jithu Madhavan is married to Shifina Babin Pakker.

Shifina has also worked in the film industry. She served as an assistant director to Jithu on both Romancham and Aavesham.

In 2026, Shifina moved into directing herself with a new film that she also wrote. The project was launched in Kochi, with Suriya and Nazriya Nazim attending the launch.

Beyond these publicly reported details, relatively little verified information is available about Jithu’s wider family background or private life. It is therefore better not to fill the gaps with unconfirmed claims circulating online.

Jithu Madhavan Movies and Filmography

Jithu’s filmography is still relatively short, but his projects have already made a noticeable impact.

His known work includes:

Guppy (2016) — Assistant Director
Romancham (2023) — Writer and Director
Aavesham (2024) — Writer and Director
Painkili (2025) — Writer
Balan: The Boy (2026) — Writer
Scene (2026) — Writer and Director

His upcoming Tamil film Scene marks an important next step because it takes him beyond Malayalam cinema and into a new language industry.

What Is Jithu Madhavan’s Next Movie?

Jithu Madhavan’s next major directorial project is ** Scene **, starring Suriya.

The film was previously referred to as Suriya 47 before its official title was announced. The makers revealed the title Scene in September 2026 along with a title teaser.

Jithu has written and directed the film, while Suriya plays a police officer named Inbaraj.

The film also features Nazriya Nazim and Naslen, with Sushin Shyam returning as the composer for another Jithu Madhavan project.

Scene is scheduled for a theatrical release on November 6, 2026, ahead of the Diwali weekend. It will also mark Jithu’s first Tamil directorial project.

This project could become another major turning point in his career because it places his filmmaking style in front of a much larger Tamil-speaking audience.

The Real-Life Story Behind Romancham

One of the most interesting things about Romancham is that its basic idea was connected to Jithu Madhavan’s own experiences.

Before becoming a filmmaker, Jithu spent several years in Bengaluru. He studied aeronautical engineering there and lived with friends in Marthahalli between 2005 and 2009.

During those years, he experienced an incident that frightened him at the time but later became something he and his friends could laugh about. That memory eventually became the inspiration for Romancham.

Jithu has explained that the passage of time changed the way he looked at the experience. What had once been frightening became funny when he remembered it with his friends. That combination of fear and humor eventually shaped the central idea of his debut film.

It also explains why Romancham feels different from a conventional horror movie. The supernatural element is there, but the heart of the story is friendship, everyday life and the unpredictable situations that happen when a group of young people gets involved with something they do not fully understand.

Jithu Madhavan’s Journey Before Becoming a Director

Filmmaking was not something Jithu discovered suddenly after college. According to his own account, cinema had been a dream for him while he was studying.

After completing his education, he worked at a Bengaluru firm for several years. Eventually, he decided to move towards the film industry.

His early experience came through assisting established filmmakers. He worked with filmmaker Kamal and later assisted John Paul on Guppy. These experiences allowed him to learn filmmaking from the practical side before he got the opportunity to make his own movie.

That background is worth remembering when looking at his later success. Jithu did not go directly from college to directing a major movie. He spent years working, learning and developing his ideas before making Romancham.

Why Aavesham Was an Important Step in His Career

If Romancham introduced Jithu Madhavan to audiences, Aavesham showed that he could handle a much larger canvas.

The 2024 film brought together Fahadh Faasil, Sajin Gopu, Hipzster, Mithun Jai Shankar and Roshan Shahnavaz in a story filled with action, comedy and larger-than-life characters.

At the centre of it was Ranga, played by Fahadh Faasil.

Jithu’s approach was not simply to make another gangster movie. The film used its unusual characters and energetic storytelling to create a very different kind of action comedy.

The success of Aavesham also strengthened Jithu’s reputation as a filmmaker who understood both youthful humor and theatrical entertainment.

It became an important reason why audiences became interested in whatever he would make next.

Jithu Madhavan and Balan: The Boy

Jithu’s career is not limited to directing.

In 2026, he received attention as the writer of Balan: The Boy, directed by Chidambaram.

Interestingly, Jithu originally planned to direct the film himself. He had been carrying the story in his mind while working on Romancham and began developing its screenplay after completing the shoot.

However, producer Anwar Rasheed suggested that Jithu should make Aavesham first. Jithu agreed, and the project eventually found its director in Chidambaram.

The collaboration between the two filmmakers became an important creative experience for Jithu.

According to his interview with Onmanorama, Chidambaram encouraged him to move away from some of the bigger theatrical moments he naturally tends to write and concentrate more closely on the emotional flow of the story.

Jithu said this was a new experience for him as a writer. Several scenes were toned down because they were becoming too heightened for the story, and he came to appreciate the creative decisions made during the collaboration.

The film’s official certification records credit Jithu Madhavan with the story, screenplay and dialogues, while Chidambaram is credited as director.

What Makes Jithu Madhavan’s Writing Different?

Jithu’s films often have a strong commercial quality, but they are not built around spectacle alone.

His writing tends to focus on groups of characters and the chemistry between them. Whether it is the friends in Romancham, the students and Ranga in Aavesham, or the emotional relationships explored through Balan: The Boy, his stories give considerable importance to character interaction.

Another noticeable element is humor.

Jithu does not necessarily separate comedy from serious situations. Instead, humor often comes naturally from the personalities of his characters and the situations they find themselves in.

That approach has become one of the reasons audiences can recognize his style even though his films belong to different genres.

Jithu Madhavan’s Wife Shifina Babin Pakker

Jithu Madhavan is married to filmmaker Shifina Babin Pakker.

Shifina worked as an assistant director on both Romancham and Aavesham, giving her direct experience of working alongside Jithu during the development of his first two feature films.

In 2026, she began her own journey as a writer-director.

Her debut film was launched in Kochi in April 2026, with Suriya and Nazriya Nazim attending the launch. The project is written and directed by Shifina, marking an important new chapter in her career.

The development is particularly interesting because both Jithu and Shifina are now pursuing their own filmmaking careers.

Jithu Madhavan’s New Movie Scene With Suriya

The biggest development in Jithu Madhavan’s career came in September 2026.

His upcoming film with Tamil superstar Suriya, previously referred to as Suriya 47, has officially been titled Scene.

The makers unveiled the title teaser on September 9 and confirmed that the film will arrive in cinemas on November 6, 2026, ahead of the Diwali weekend.

Jithu has written and directed the film, making Scene his first Tamil directorial project.

Suriya plays DSP Inbaraj, a rebellious police officer who has a difficult relationship with his colleagues and a particularly strong connection to prisoners who have ended up behind bars because of him.

The film also stars Nazriya Nazim and Naslen, while Anandraj and Lal are among the other announced members of the cast.

Jithu’s regular collaborator Sushin Shyam is composing the music. The technical team includes cinematographer Vineeth Augustian and editor Ajmal Sabu.

Why Scene Could Be a Major Turning Point

Scene is more than another film in Jithu Madhavan’s filmography.

It represents his first move into Tamil cinema and puts him in charge of a project led by one of India’s biggest stars.

The film also gives Jithu an opportunity to take the storytelling techniques he developed in Malayalam cinema to a new audience.

The first glimpse has already generated considerable interest, particularly around Suriya’s unusual police character and the film’s energetic tone. Early reactions to the teaser have also highlighted Jithu’s direction, the background score and Naslen’s presence.

The theatrical release is currently scheduled for November 6, 2026.

Jithu Madhavan’s Filmography

Here is a quick look at his major credited work:

Year	Film	Role
2016	Guppy	Assistant Director
2023	Romancham	Writer & Director
2024	Aavesham	Writer & Director
2025	Painkili	Writer
2026	Balan: The Boy	Writer
2026	Scene	Writer & Director

His filmography is still relatively small compared with many established filmmakers, but the speed at which he has moved from debut director to a Suriya-led Tamil project is notable.

What Is Next for Jithu Madhavan?

For now, the major focus is Scene.

The film represents a completely new phase for Jithu because it brings together his filmmaking style with a major Tamil star and a multilingual audience.

At the same time, his work as a writer continues to show another side of his abilities. Balan: The Boy demonstrated that he is willing to let another director interpret his story, while Scene puts him back in complete creative control as both writer and director.

That combination could become important as his career develops.

Jithu Madhavan FAQs

How old is Jithu Madhavan?

Jithu Madhavan was born on January 15, 1993. Based on that reported birth date, he is 33 years old in 2026.

What is Jithu Madhavan famous for?

He is best known for directing the Malayalam films Romancham and Aavesham. He is also the writer of Painkili and Balan: The Boy.

What was Jithu Madhavan’s first movie?

His directorial debut was Romancham, released in 2023. Before becoming a director, he worked as an assistant in Malayalam cinema.

Is Jithu Madhavan married?

Yes. Jithu Madhavan is married to filmmaker Shifina Babin Pakker, who worked as an assistant director on Romancham and Aavesham.

Who is Jithu Madhavan’s next film with?

Jithu Madhavan’s next directorial is Scene, starring Suriya. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on November 6, 2026.

Is Scene Jithu Madhavan’s first Tamil movie?

Yes. Scene marks Jithu Madhavan’s first directorial project in Tamil cinema.

Final Word

Jithu Madhavan’s story is still being written.

He started by learning filmmaking from the sidelines, transformed a personal experience into Romancham, followed it with the highly successful Aavesham, and then expanded his work as a writer with Balan: The Boy.

Now comes Scene, his first Tamil film and his biggest project yet.

If his journey so far is any indication, Jithu Madhavan is not interested in staying in one place for too long. His next chapter could introduce his filmmaking to an even wider audience.

Written by Alena Shek
Entertainment Writer & Biography Researcher at Alhair Business