A. John Varghese, known as A.J. Varghese and formerly John Varghese, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in the Malayalam film industry. His directorial debut was with Adi Kapyare Kootamani in 2015.[1]
Personal life
He stayed in the same college hostel as actor Vineeth Mohan,[2] who has featured in all of his films.[3][4][5] Both of them used an Ouija board with their friends, which is when A.J. Varghese got the idea for Adi Kapyare Kootamani.[6] He is married to Adora Jose and they have one daughter.[7]
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.[8] He would later go on to direct two more films, Uriyadi (2020) and Adinaasam Vellapokkam (2025). The former received negative reviews from critics[9][10] and the latter bombed at the box office.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Screenwriter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Adi Kapyare Kootamani | Yes | Yes | Co-written with Abhilash S. Nair[12] |
| 2020 | Uriyadi | Yes | No | [13] |
| 2025 | Adinaasam Vellapokkam | Yes | Yes | [14] |
References
- ↑ 'Adi Kapyare Kootamani' a Malayalam comedy, tabloid!, Mythily Ramachandran, Special to. Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema(2018-09-15). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ No regret quitting job for acting: Vineeth Mohan | No regret quitting job for acting: Vineeth Mohan, nair, shreejaya. www.deccanchronicle.com(2015-10-29). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ AJ Varghese's 'Uriyadi' to release on January 17, archive, From our online. The New Indian Express(2020-01-14). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Shine Tom Chacko-starrer Adinasham Vellappokkam gets a release window, Features, C. E.. The New Indian Express(2025-11-18). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Template:Cite AV media
- ↑ Instagram. www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Adi Kappyare Kootamani director John Varghese against Vijay Babu and Sandra Thomas. onlookersmedia(2017-01-06). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Uriyadi Movie Review: A thriller marred by comedy. The Times of India. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Uriyadi Review | Pointless Humor Ruins This Okay Thriller, Bharadwaj, Aswin. Lensmen Reviews(2020-01-18). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Adinaasam Vellapokkam Collection, Budget & OTT | Hit/Flop? » Tenvow, Archive →, View(2025-12-16). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ 'Adi Kapyare Kootamani' a Delightful Cocktail, Sudhish, Navamy. The New Indian Express(2015-12-16). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Uriyadi song Thumbapoo Chottil has a festive beat. The Times of India(2019-09-07). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
- ↑ Shine Tom Chacko-starrer Adinasham Vellappokkam gets a release window, Features, C. E.. The New Indian Express(2025-11-18). Retrieved 2026-03-15.
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