Famous actor Innocent (75), who brought laughter to Malayalis all over the world through his immortal characters, passed away on Sunday…
He was under treatment. Due to lung infection, his condition worsened and he was shifted to the intensive care unit, but on Sunday night he passed away
Innocent was also a former Member of Parliament.
Innocent was one of the greatest comedians of Malayalam cinema who has acted in more than 600 films.
Innocent’s distinctive body language and Thrissur-style dialogue were the hallmarks of his acting.
Considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema, Innocent also appeared in villainous roles. With his unique voice and mannerisms, he had endeared himself to countless cinema lovers as well as a toast of mimicry artists. A former MP from the Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency Innocent represented CPI(M).
In 1979, he was elected as the municipal councillor of Irinjalakkuda municipality. He won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate supported by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Innocent served as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018. He has written books based on his memories and columns in magazines and newspapers.
Born in Inrinjalakuda in 1948, Innocent entered the film industry in 1972 with the movie ‘Nrityashala’ starring Prem Nazir and Jayabharathi. He played comedy roles in ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, ‘Mannar Mathai Speaking’, ‘Kilukkam’, ‘Godfather’, ‘Vietnam Colony’, ‘Nadodikattu’, ‘Manichitrathazhu’ and ‘Kalyanaraman’ among others.
Innocent has also excelled in character and villain roles such as ‘Keli’, ‘Kathodu Kathoram’. Other films included ‘Kabooliwaala’, ‘Gajakesariyogam’, ‘Mithunam’, ‘Mazhavilkavadi’, ‘Manassinakkare’, ‘Thuruppugulan’, ‘Rasathanthram’, ‘Naran’ and ‘Mahasamudram’. His effort, along with that of the superstars who starred in these films, played an important role in their success. 2020 is the only year he didn’t appear in any films due to Cancer treatment since 1980.