B. Unnikrishnan, born Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran Pillai on August 14, 1970, is a renowned Indian film director and screenwriter, primarily working in the Malayalam cinema industry. After completing his post-graduation in English Literature, he earned his M. Phil degree from Mahatma Gandhi University with a first rank in 1991.
Unnikrishnan's passion for writing led him to publish his works on literature, politics, and culture during the early 1990s. Alongside V. C. Haris, he edited a series of books on postmodernism, which was published by DC Books.
He ventured into the film industry as a screenwriter in 2000, penning the script for Jalamarmaram, which garnered him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay in 2000. This was followed by Cover Story (2000) and two films directed by Shaji Kailas—Shivam (2002) and The Tiger (2005).
Unnikrishnan's directorial debut was the film Smart City in 2006. He went on to direct films such as Madambi and Grandmaster. Additionally, he has been involved in organisational activities within the Malayalam cinema industry.
Prior to his resignation, Unnikrishnan served as the General Secretary of Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) for a considerable amount of time. His resignation was initially rejected by the General Council of FEFKA, who requested him to continue until the next election in 2013.
However, in 2013, the newly elected General Council of FEFKA unanimously re-elected him as General Secretary. Unnikrishnan is also a member of the advisory committee of Cine Workers Welfare Board and the director of Saamskaarika Khemanidhi in Kerala.
In January 2014, he was unanimously elected as the General Secretary of the All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC) at the National Conference in Mumbai, becoming the first Keralite to hold this esteemed position.