Kochi | Innocent, well-known Malayalam actor and former MP, passed away on Sunday at a private hospital in Kochi at the age of 75. The actor, who was under treatment at the hospital since March 3, breathed his last at 10.30 pm.
The actor had been receiving treatment at the hospital since March 3 and died due to Covid-19 infection and multiple organ failure resulting in heart failure, according to a release from the hospital.
Innocent was on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, a form of cardiopulmonary support where the patient's blood is pumped and oxygenated outside the body using a machine.
He had been reportedly unwell for some time and had previously been diagnosed with cancer, which he had announced being cured of in 2015.
Innocent's body will be available for public viewing from 8 AM to 11 AM on Monday at Ernakulam Kadavanthra indoor stadium. After that, it will be taken to Irinjalakuda for further public viewing from 1 PM to 3.30 PM. The funeral service will be held at 5 PM at Irinjalakuda St Thomas Cathedral.
Innocent was a renowned actor in the Malayalam film industry with a career spanning five decades, having acted in over 750 movies, including a few in Tamil and Hindi.
He played memorable roles in box office hits like ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, ‘Manichitrathazhu’, ‘Sandesam’, ‘Vietnam Colony’, ‘Kilukkam’ and ‘Devaasuram’.
His role as Mannar Mathai in ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, the irritable theatre owner who gets bombarded with “wrong calls” continues to inspire memes and holds its place in popular culture to this day.
Known primarily for his comedic roles, Innocent served as the president of the artistes’ guild, Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, from 2003 to 2018.
He was born in Irinjalakuda in 1948 and made his acting debut in the 1972 movie ‘Nrithasala’. He went on to work with leading directors of Malayalam cinema like Sathyan Anthikkad, Fasil, Priyadarshan, and Kamal, and acted alongside stars like Mammooty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, and Jayaram.
Directors often praised his knack for improvising the scenes narrated to him. He also appeared in the Tamil movie ‘Lesa Lesa’ and the Bollywood movies ‘Doli Saja Ke Rakhna’ and ‘Malamaal Weekly’.
In addition to his successful acting career, Innocent also had an equally colorful career in politics. He won elections to the Irinjalakuda Municipality in 1979 and later contested the 2014 elections to Lok Sabha, from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur district. Five years later, he lost to a candidate backed by the United Democratic Front.
The actor has authored five books: 'Njan Innocent' (I am Innocent), 'Cancer Wardile Chiri' (Laughter In The Cancer Ward, a biography), Irinjalakudakku Chuttum (In And Around Irinjalakuda)), Mazha Kannadi (Mirror Of Rain, a collection of short stories) and Chirrikku Pinnil (Behind The Laughter).
Innocent had won several awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards and seven Asianet Film Awards. He is survived by his wife Alice and their son Sonnet.