In spite of his long association with theatre, Thilakan became a household name only after his foray into Malayalam cinema . He began his career in cinema with a minor role in the film Ulkadal (1979) . His first role as a lead character was as Kallu Varkey, a drunkard in Kolangal (1981) . Thilakan established himself as an actor after he got his first State Award in 1981 for his role in Yavanika . The film Kireedam was another milestone in his career which is noteworthy for his portrayal of a helpless police man watching silently the fate of his son, played by Mohanlal, who was made into a rowdy by society . In February 2010 it was reported that the producer of the movie "Christian Brothers" excluded Thilakan from the film on the direction of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), the predominant film technicians association . Thilakan had been earlier signed for a role in the film . The exclusion was reportedly due to Thilakans acting in a film of director Vinayan who till recently headed the rival association called Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) . On February 3, 2010 Thilakan protested in public domain against the unofficial ban enforced on him by FEFKA and named the Malayalm superstar Mammooty for engineering the ban . The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), issued a show cause notice to Thilakan for bringing the issue into the public domain. Thilakan accused AMMA, of which he too is a member. On February 20, 2010 the issue gained political colours when CPI's trade union wing AITUC came out openly in support of Thilakan, while a senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member K E Ismail expressed reservations about his party getting involved in the tangle. .