Veteran Malayalam actor Innocent passed away on Sunday at the age of 75. He was also a former member of Parliament and a cancer survivor. According to the reports, the celebrated actor was not keeping well for some time and was admitted to the hospital on March 3 with respiratory problems. According to the VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, Innocent passed away at 10:30 pm on Sunday night. The hospital said that the non-functioning of many organs and a heart attack led to the actor's death.
A few years ago, the thespian had been diagnosed with cancer but in 2015 he announced that he was finally free of the disease. He had written about his battle with cancer in his book 'Laughter in the Cancer Ward'. The actor, who was last seen in Prithviraj Sukumaran's 2022 film 'Kaduva', has done over 700 films in Malayalam in a career that spanned over five decades.
Prithviraj Sukumaran was among the first celebrities who mourned the demise of the veteran actor. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, "End of an iconic chapter in cinema history! Rest in peace Legend!"
Innocent is survived by his wife Alice, and a son, Sonnet.
Not just a celebrated actor, Innocent had also served as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for 12 consecutive years. 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.
