✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Anish John Kokken

Anish John Kokken biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Anish John Kokken Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth27 March 1981

Age41 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceMumbai, Maharashtra, India

ProfessionActor, Model

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpousePooja Ramachandran

FamilySon - Ariha Kokken; Parents - John Kokken and Thressiamma John Kokken; Siblings - Anderson Kokken and John Kokken

Anish John Kokken Biography

Anish John Kokken is a Mumbai-born actor and former model known for playing imposing antagonist roles across South Indian cinema and for appearances in big

Early life and background

Anish John Kokken was born on 27 March 1981 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, into a family with roots in Kerala. He grew up in Mumbai, completed his schooling at Our Lady of Nazareth High School and attended Anjuman-i-Islam College. He holds a diploma in Hotel Management and Catering. His parents are John Kokken, who worked as a professor, and Thressiamma John Kokken, a nurse. He has at least two brothers, an elder brother named Anderson Kokken and a younger brother also named John Kokken.

Before entering the entertainment world, Kokken worked in the hospitality industry. In his early twenties he served as a receptionist at several five-star hotels, including ITC Maratha Sheraton and Hyatt Regency. He later worked at a call center with the goal of saving money to build a modelling portfolio.

Career

Kokken began his public career as a model. In 2005 he participated in the Gladrags modelling contest and reached the finalists stage. He went on to audition for numerous advertising campaigns and landed his first ad after many auditions. His modelling work took him to Kerala in 2006, where he made connections with South Indian filmmakers and secured his first film role.

His on-screen debut came in the 2006 Malayalam film Kalabham, in which he played a Jihadi leader. Over time his tall, muscular frame led to frequent casting as a villain in South Indian films. He appeared as an antagonist in Love in Singapore (2009) opposite Mammootty and in other projects such as I.G. – Inspector General (2009), Alexander The Great (2010), Veeram (2014) and Janatha Garage (2016).

Kokken was part of the ensemble of Bahubali: The Beginning (2015), appearing as a soldier in Kalakeya’s army. His work reached wider attention with a role in KGF: Chapter 1 (2018) as a villain; the research excerpt notes he was set to return for the film’s sequel. In 2021 he was cast as the principal antagonist Vembuli in the period boxing drama Sarpatta Parambarai, directed by Pa Ranjith. For that role Kokken adapted a fierce physicality and studied the body language of former world boxing champion Mike Tyson to create an intimidating ring presence.

Kokken has also worked on digital platforms: he played a police officer in the Tamil crime-drama series Police Diary 2.0, released on Zee5 in 2019, and portrayed the god Indrajeet in the mythological series Ramyug on MX Player in 2021.

Public profile

Kokken is multilingual, having learned several South Indian languages while working across regional film industries. He speaks Hindi, English, Marathi and Malayalam fluently and has picked up Tamil, Telugu and Kannada during his career. He follows a primarily vegetarian diet and has been transitioning toward a vegan lifestyle. He practices yoga and has a personal interest in boxing, both of which inform his physical approach to many of his roles.

Outside of acting, Kokken maintains a visible affinity for animals and keeps pets, including a Rottweiler and a Pomeranian. He has expressed admiration for actors known for their villainous work and has cited Sanjay Dutt as an influence. He has spoken of a longstanding ambition to play the antagonist lead in a James Bond film.

Personal life

Kokken is married to South Indian actress Pooja Ramachandran; his earlier marriage to Meera Vasudevan ended in divorce. He has a son, Ariha Kokken, from his first marriage. The quick facts in the research also list his height as 6 feet 2 inches (187 cm) and an approximate weight of 80 kg.

Latest updates

Recent projects mentioned in the research include his antagonist role in KGF (with a noted return in the sequel) and his prominent villainous performance as Vembuli in Sarpatta Parambarai (2021). He has continued to take on roles across film and streaming series, including mythology and crime drama projects.
◈

Recent Work

Sarpatta Parambarai

Played the main antagonist Vembuli in the 1970s-set boxing drama directed by Pa Ranjith (2021).

2021
Ramyug

Portrayed the god Indrajeet in the mythological series released on MX Player (2021).

2021
Police Diary 2.0

Played a police officer in the Tamil crime-drama series released on Zee5 (2019).

2019
KGF: Chapter 1

Appeared as a villain in the 2018 film; noted to return as an antagonist in the sequel.

2018
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Finalist in the Gladrags modelling contest (2005)
  2. Film debut in Kalabham (2006)
  3. Appeared in Bahubali: The Beginning (2015) as a Kalakeya soldier
  4. Villainous roles in KGF: Chapter 1 (2018) and Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
  5. Television/OTT roles in Police Diary 2.0 (2019) and Ramyug (2021)
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Anish John Kokken born?

27 March 1981

What is Anish John Kokken known for?

Actor, Model

What is Anish John Kokken’s marital status?

Married

Who is Anish John Kokken married to?

Pooja Ramachandran