Nikhil Maliyakkal (నిఖిల్ మలియక్కల్) is an Indian television actor and dancer born on 28 June 1997 in Mysore, Karnataka, into a middle-class family in the Saraswatipuram neighbourhood. His father Shashi is a journalist and his mother Sulekha is a Kannada actress. He completed his schooling at Baden Powell Public School, Mysore, and graduated from Acharya Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, in Engineering. Before entering entertainment, he worked as a Business Development Executive at a private firm. A family friend encouraged him to try acting. He made his Kannada film debut in Ooty (2016) in a supporting role, followed by the Kannada serial Maneye Mantralaya (2018). His Telugu career took off with the popular Star Maa serial Gorintaku (2019), after which he appeared in Ammaku Teliyani Koilamma (2021, as Prem). He has also appeared in independent music videos and web series, and participated in the talk shows Kissik Talks and Unfiltered Nights. Before and during Bigg Boss Telugu 8 (themed 'Limitless Entertainment'), he had been privately battling depression. On 15 December 2024, he was crowned the winner, defeating runner-up Gautham Krishna in the grand finale presented by Ram Charan. He walked away with ₹55 lakh in prize money, a Maruti Suzuki Dzire, and dedicated the trophy to his mother.
Playing Gowtham in the Telugu serial Gorintaku (Star Maa, 2019); Prem in Ammaku Teliyani Koilamma (2021); Kannada film debut in Ooty (2016); winning Bigg Boss Telugu Season 8 (2024) hosted by Nagarjuna Akkineni, taking home ₹55 lakh and a Maruti Suzuki Dzire.