M. P. Michael, who uses the stage name Lal, is an Indian actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and distributor. He was born on December 2, 1958 in Kochi, Kerala, India. He is known for his work in Malayalam and Tamil films, and some Telugu films. 

Lal is known for his roles in Hera Pheri (2000), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), and Godfather (1991), for which he also wrote the screenplay. He has also appeared in Pulimurugan, Chandi Veeran, Salt n` Pepper, and Thalappavu. As a producer, he has worked on films such as Thommanum Makkalum, Panthaya Kozhi, Kalyanaraman, and Thenkasipattanam. He has also directed Kabooliwala (1993), King Liar (2016), and Tsunami (2021). 

Lal is married to Nancy Paul and they have two children.