List of Famous people born in Kerala, India

Nihal Sarin is an Indian chess player. A chess prodigy, he achieved the title of Grandmaster at age 14. He is also the fourth youngest player in history to cross the Elo rating mark of 2600, accomplishing this feat at age 14.

Koppillil Radhakrishnan is an Indian space scientist who headed the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) between November 2009 and December 2014 as Chairman of Space Commission, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO. Prior to this, he was the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (2007-2009) and Director of National Remote Sensing Agency (2005-2008) of the Department of Space. He had a brief stint of five years (2000-2005) in the Ministry of Earth Sciences as Director of Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).

Usharani was an Indian film actress who acted mainly in Malayalam films.

Mariam Thresia was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic professed religious and the founder of the Congregation of the Holy Family. Thresia Mankidiyan became known for receiving frequent visions and ecstasies as well as even receiving the stigmata which she kept well-guarded. She had been involved in apostolic work her entire life and pushed for strict adherence to the rule of her order amongst her fellow religious.

Joshiy is an Indian film director and producer from Varkala in Kerala who works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry. He made his debut with Tiger Salim (1978) and has directed over 90 films. He has also directed a few Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. In the beginning of his career, he received national fame when he directed Dharm Aur Qanoon (1984) starring Rajesh Khanna and Dharmendra, with Khanna in double roles.

A. K. Saseendran is an Indian politician serving as the Transport Minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry. He had resigned on 26 March 2017 over a sexual harassment allegation but returned as minister on 1 February 2018 after getting acquitted in the case. He belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party and represents the Elathur constituency. He was previously elected to the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1980, 1982, 2006 and 2011.

Oommen Chandy is an Indian politician and senior leader of the Indian National Congress party. He served as the Chief Minister of Kerala for two terms, from 2004 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016. He was also Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.

Saranya Ponvannan, born as Sheela Christina, is a popular South Indian film actress who has predominantly appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam language films and a few Kannada language films. Saranya made her debut in a lead role in Mani Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) and went on to play lead roles from 1987-1996. Following an eight-year sabbatical, she returned to films in 2003 as a character actor, specializing in "mother of the hero" roles.

Olanchery Rajagopal is an Indian politician, former Union Minister of State,Former Chief Minister of Kerala candidate of BJP and the MLA from Nemom and the first ever Bharatiya Janata Party member in the Legislative Assembly of Kerala. One of the major leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party from Kerala, he has held various ministerial portfolios including Defence, Parliamentary Affairs, Urban Development, Law, Justice, Company Affairs, and Railways. Rajagopal was a two-time MP in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament from 1992 till 2004. Rajagopal was also a member of Kerala state government's legistative assembly subject committee on Petitions & Committee of Public Work, Transport and Communications.

Rekhitha R. Kurup, better known by her stage name Bhamaa, is an Indian film actress who has mainly appeared in Malayalam and Kannada language films. She made her debut in 2007 with the film Nivedyam directed by A. K. Lohithadas. In a career spanning over a decade, she has starred in over 40 films.