Veteran Malayalam actor Innocent passes away

The former MP breathed his last at a hospital in Kochi

Innocent Innocent

Veteran Malayalam actor and former MP Innocent passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Sunday night. He was 75.

The actor was undergoing treatment for cancer-related complications for the last few weeks and his health condition worsened on Saturday.

He is survived by his wife Alice and two children.

Read: A versatile actor and master of humour

Known for his versatility both in comic and character roles, Innocent acted in more than 700 films in a career spanning over five decades. He made his debut in 1972 movie Nrithashala directed by A.B. Raj.

With his great timing of humour and a peculiar style of dialogue delivery, Innocent carved a niche place for himself in the Malayalam cinema. Some of his popular films included Kilukkam (1991), Azhakiya Ravanan (1996), Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), Mazhavil Kavadi (1989), Nadodikkattu (1987), and Devaasuram (1993). He also produced a few films in the early years of his career.

Innocent was the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) for 18 years.

In 2014, he contested the parliamentary elections as an independent candidate with the support of the Left front and represented the Chalakudy constituency in Lok Sabha for the next five years.

Innocent was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2012, but in 2015 he announced that he was finally free of the disease. Three weeks ago, he was admitted to hospital with breathing problems.