The Week – I.M. Vijayan Unplugged – Ep1: How Kerala Police discovered the Black Pearl!

He’s known as the ‘Black Pearl’ in Kerala. In Bengal, he was ‘Kalo Harin’ (black buck). From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Vijayan was the star of Indian football.

Speaking to Malayala Manorama Chief of Bureau (Kochi) Antony John, Vijayan talks about his rise, his idols, contemporaries and successors, his acting career and more.

The first of a three-part series where Vijayan traces his journey across Indian football, cinema and stardom.