Who was Makkada Devadas? Life, legacy of Malayalam art director
What's the story
Makkada Devadas, the legendary art director who shaped the look of Malayalam movies for decades, died on September 21, 2025. He was 78. His creative vision left a lasting mark on both movies and television. Born in Makkada near Kozhikode, Devadas began his career as a talented painter before moving on to work his magic on films. Over nearly three decades, he worked on around 100 movies and designed title sequences for over 300 Malayalam and Tamil movies.
Career progression
Journey into the film industry
Devadas's journey into the film industry began when he moved to Madras with a letter from Artist Namboodiri. He had previously won a painting competition at an arts festival under the University of Calicut and also ran a studio in Eranhipalam, Kozhikode city. His cousin, Puthalath Raghavan, an artist and a boxing trainer, introduced him to the fundamentals of painting. However, instead of meeting Rameshan, the art director for Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram, he ended up working with dress designer Ramachandran.
Early works
First independent work
Ramachandran introduced Devadas to art director-turned-filmmaker PN Menon, who trained him in creating movie titles. Later, he was mentored by S Konnanatt in art direction. He made his independent debut with P. Chandrakumar's Neeyo Njano in 1979. This was followed by Kallan Pavithran (1981), a film that became a milestone for filmmaker Padmarajan and significantly boosted Devadas's career.
Acclaimed projects
Devadas's legacy and family
Devadas was known for his ability to transform ordinary spaces into memorable sets. A prime example of this was when he turned a hall into a ship warehouse for Kallan Pavithran (1981). He also worked on several tele-serials and tele-movies, winning a State Television Award for Sulthan Veedu, based on PA Mohammed Koya's novel of the same name. Devadas is survived by his wife, Thankam, and their daughter, Premkala.