Veteran Malayalam actor Janardhanan, known for his extensive career spanning over 450 films, has recently made a surprising revelation about his personal life. In a candid interview with the Malayalam magazine Vanitha, the 79-year-old actor confessed to having had an extramarital affair approximately 18 years ago.

Janardhanan explained that his wife, Vijayalakshmi, was aware of the affair. He stated that she "adjusted somehow" because she understood him well, having known him from a young age. The actor, known for his roles as a comedian and villain since the 1970s, has been married to Vijayalakshmi, who is also his relative, since childhood. The couple has two daughters.

The actor attributed the affair to a lack of physical intimacy with his wife at the time. "By then, she (wife) had lost interest in physical intimacy, which is why I grew close to the other party. I am only human," Janardhanan said. He emphasized that he cared for the other woman for many years and provided for her.

Janardhanan revealed that the woman he had the affair with ended the relationship herself due to concerns about societal stigma as her son grew older. "She broke up with me, when her son grew up, as she feared societal stigma," the actor stated.

The actor maintains that his actions did not negatively impact his family. He said, "Other than this episode, I have no black mark in my life. No one in my family has been troubled because of this affair,". Janardhanan added, "People often ask why I had an affair, despite loving my wife deeply. The truth is, my wife knew everything...There was no impact on our family,". He felt that now was the appropriate time to speak openly about the matter, as he has "nothing to lose" at this stage in his life.

In the interview, Janardhanan praised his wife's personality and her cooking skills. He also recounted the challenges they faced in getting married, having grown up in Vaikkom, a village in Kerala's Kottayam district. He described his wife as "beautiful and graceful" and noted that she is fluent in both Hindi and English, having studied in Delhi.

Before his acting career, Janardhanan served in the Indian Air Force. He was recently seen in the Mohanlal-starrer Hridayapoorvam, which was released in August.