Popular Malayalam actor Kalabhavan Mani died at a private hospital here yesterday, his family said. He was 45.
Mani who was unwell for a while was admitted to hospital two days ago.
In a career spanning close to a quarter century, Mani acted in around 200 films and of late was seen more often in Tamil films.
Beginning his career as a mimicry artiste, Mani went on to play serious and even villain roles and was a popular singer too, especially of ballads.
He came to the forefront with his role in Sallapam, which incidentally was the first big hit of superstar Dileep.
For his brilliant portrayal as a blind man in Vasantiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum, Mani won the special jury award at the national and the state level.
He was an auto-rickshaw driver in Chalakkudy before he became a full time actor. Mani’s death has come as a huge shock for his fans and the Malayalam film industry.
Superstar Mammooty who has acted with Mani in many movies said the death was a big loss to him personally and to the film industry. “When I asked him why he was losing weight rapidly, he told me he was on a diet. I did not know his condition was not good. He was a friend, an actor, a phenomenal singer, whose demise is a great loss to the industry. This is all too sudden and I am in shock,” Mammootty said.
“He has acted in the most number of movies with me,” said actor Jayaram.
“Recently when I saw him looking tired, I asked him what was wrong. But he just laughed it off. He was a genuine human being, a humble person who always talked about his humble beginnings. I did not even know that he was hospitalized.”
“This is a huge shock. I am not even able to speak. He will live on in our memory; I have so many unforgettable moments I shared with him. We had been working together for a long time on stage shows,” said another actor Suraj Venjaramoodu.
“I brought him to the film industry. He was a person who worked hard and reached. He climbed the ladder because of his talents. He was a great human being. He helped people around, offered help though he they may not have asked him for it,” said director Sibi Malayil.