Sabumon Abdusamad (also known as Tharikida Sabu) is an Indian actor, television anchor, and producer born on 16 October 1979 in Kayamkulam, Alappuzha district, Kerala, into a Muslim family. His father, Abdusamad, was a school teacher. He holds three graduate degrees - in Malayalam, Journalism, and Law - from University College, Thiruvananthapuram. Before entering entertainment, he worked in the sales and operations division of Lufthansa Airlines in Saudi Arabia, a job he left to pursue his passion for acting. He is also a former Students' Federation of India (SFI) activist. He made his acting debut in the 2002 Malayalam film Nakshathrakkannulla Rajakumaran Avanundoru Rajakumari. His television breakthrough came with the hidden camera prank show Tharikida on Surya TV (2000), which became one of Malayalam television's most popular shows and earned him the enduring nickname 'Tharikida Sabu'. He subsequently hosted Attahasam (Asianet Plus, 2005) and Take It Easy (Mazhavil Manorama, 2014). His film career gained momentum through supporting roles in Fireman, Acha Dhin, Double Barrel, Punyalan Aggarbattis, and Adi Kapyare Kottambi. In June 2018, he entered Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1 - the inaugural season hosted by Mohanlal - as one of 18 contestants. Earning the house nickname 'Google Sabu' for his wide knowledge, he completed all 98 days and was crowned the winner on 30 September 2018, taking home a prize of ₹1 crore. The victory directly led to his most celebrated film role: the ruthless ex-convict Kuttachan in Lijo Jose Pellissery's Jallikattu (2019), which won India's National Award for Best Direction and was selected as India's official entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. He followed this with Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020), Malik (2021), and his Tamil debut as the antagonist Kumaresan in T.J. Gnanavel's Vettaiyan (2024) opposite Rajinikanth. He is co-owner of the production company SAB Productions.
Hosting the hidden camera prank show Tharikida on Surya TV (2000), which earned him the lasting nickname 'Tharikida Sabu'; his role as the ruthless antagonist Kuttachan in Lijo Jose Pellissery's national award-winning film Jallikattu (2019), which was India's official entry to the 93rd Academy Awards; supporting roles in Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020) and Vettaiyan (2024) opposite Rajinikanth; winning Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1 (2018).
