DeangeloSchwing at 18:11, 29 March 2026

2026-03-29T18:11:46Z

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{{Short description|Indian film director}}
{{Indian patronymic|John|Varghese}}
{{Infobox person
| name = A.J. Varghese
| other_names = John Varghese
| occupation = {{Hlist | Film director | screenwriter}}
| yearsactive = 2015–present
| notable_works = [[Adi Kapyare Kootamani]]
| children = 1
}}
A. John Varghese, known as '''A.J. Varghese''' and formerly John Varghese, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in the [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam film industry]]. His directorial debut was with [[Adi Kapyare Kootamani]] in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last=tabloid! |first=Mythily Ramachandran, Special to |date=2018-09-15 |title='Adi Kapyare Kootamani' a Malayalam comedy |url=https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/south-indian/adi-kapyare-kootamani-a-malayalam-comedy-1.1664997 |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema |language=en}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
He stayed in the same college hostel as actor [[Vineeth Mohan]],<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR3sZ1zw9gs |title=അടി ഒരു weakness ആണോ ? Club Studio with Director A J Varghese {{!}} RJ Raghav |date=2025-12-10 |last=Club FM |access-date=2026-03-15 |via=YouTube}}</ref> who has featured in all of his films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=nair |first=shreejaya |date=2015-10-29 |title=No regret quitting job for acting: Vineeth Mohan {{!}} No regret quitting job for acting: Vineeth Mohan |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/151029/entertainment-mollywood/article/no-regret-quitting-job-acting-vineeth-mohan |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=www.deccanchronicle.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=archive |first=From our online |date=2020-01-14 |title=AJ Varghese's 'Uriyadi' to release on January 17 |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2020/Jan/14/aj-vargheses-uriyadi-to-release-on-january-17-2089111.html |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Features |first=C. E. |date=2025-11-18 |title=Shine Tom Chacko-starrer Adinasham Vellappokkam gets a release window |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2025/Nov/18/malayalamnews2025nov18shine-tom-chacko-starrer-adinasham-vellappokkam-gets-a-release-window |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> Both of them used an [[Ouija|Ouija board]] with their friends, which is when A.J. Varghese got the idea for Adi Kapyare Kootamani.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR3sZ1zw9gs |title=അടി ഒരു weakness ആണോ ? Club Studio with Director A J Varghese {{!}} RJ Raghav |date=2025-12-10 |last=Club FM |access-date=2026-03-15 |via=YouTube}}</ref> He is married to Adora Jose and they have one daughter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DQSUKBnk6e0/ |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref>

== Career ==
A.J. Varghese had originally intended to make Adi Kapyare Kootamani in Tamil, but [[Friday Film House]], the producers of the film, persuaded him to make it in Malayalam first and created an agreement, but left out the clause of a Tamil remake in the agreement.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-06 |title=Adi Kappyare Kootamani director John Varghese against Vijay Babu and Sandra Thomas |url=https://onlookersmedia.in/latestnews/adi-kappyare-kootamani-director-john-varghese-vijay-babu-sandra-thomas/ |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=onlookersmedia |language=en-US}}</ref> He would later go on to direct two more films, [[Uriyadi (2020 film)|Uriyadi]] (2020) and [[Adinaasam Vellapokkam]] (2025). The former received negative reviews from critics<ref>{{Cite web |title=Uriyadi Movie Review: A thriller marred by comedy |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/uriyadi/movie-review/73323922.cms |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bharadwaj |first=Aswin |date=2020-01-18 |title=Uriyadi Review {{!}} Pointless Humor Ruins This Okay Thriller |url=https://lensmenreviews.com/uriyadi-malayalam-movie-review-2020/ |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=Lensmen Reviews |language=en-US}}</ref> and the latter [[Box-office bomb|bombed at the box office]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archive → |first=View |date=2025-12-16 |title=Adinaasam Vellapokkam Collection, Budget & OTT {{!}} Hit/Flop? » Tenvow |url=https://tenvow.com/box-office/adinaasam-vellapokkam-collection-budget-ott/ |access-date=2026-03-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Director
!Screenwriter
!Notes
|-
|2015
|[[Adi Kapyare Kootamani]]
|Yes
|Yes
|Co-written with Abhilash S. Nair<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sudhish |first=Navamy |date=2015-12-16 |title='Adi Kapyare Kootamani' a Delightful Cocktail |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2015/Dec/16/adi-kapyare-kootamani-a-delightful-cocktail-858166.html |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2020
|[[Uriyadi (2020 film)|Uriyadi]]
|Yes
|No
|<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-09-07 |title=Uriyadi song Thumbapoo Chottil has a festive beat |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/uriyadi-song-thumbapoo-chottil-has-a-festive-beat/articleshow/71023995.cms |access-date=2026-03-15 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>
|-
|2025
|[[Adinaasam Vellapokkam]]
|Yes
|Yes
|<ref>{{Cite web |last=Features |first=C. E. |date=2025-11-18 |title=Shine Tom Chacko-starrer Adinasham Vellappokkam gets a release window |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2025/Nov/18/malayalamnews2025nov18shine-tom-chacko-starrer-adinasham-vellappokkam-gets-a-release-window |access-date=2026-03-15 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Malayalam film directors]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

{{India-film-director-stub}}
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A.J. Varghese - Revision history

DeangeloSchwing at 18:11, 29 March 2026