Govindan Aravindan was an Indian film director, screenwriter, musician, cartoonist, and painter. He was the pioneer of Malayalam parallel films. He was born in 1935 in Kerala. He studied at University College, Trivandrum. He had a successful career as a cartoonist before entering the film industry. Additionally, he had experience in theatre and documentaries. He received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour from the Indian government, in 1990.