TRIBUTE PAID TO THILAKAN, MALAYALAM ACTOR

TRIBUTE PAID TO THILAKAN,

 MALAYALAM ACTOR

Renowned Malayalam stage and film actor Thilakan died at a private hospital here following a cardiac arrest in the wee hours today. He was 77. He is survived by two sons and two daughters. Thilakan had been battling for life at the hospital where he was admitted on August 23 after he had suffered two heart attacks. He had been on and off ventilator since then and had an attack of pneumonia. The end came at 3.35 am today. Thilakan who began his acting career in his intermediate days, had been associated with several drama troupes in his early days including the pro-Left Kerala Peoples' Arts Centre (KPAC). He entered the filmdom in 1979 with a minor role in K G George's 'Ulkadal'.

Since then, he had acted in more than 200 films and won several national and state awards. He won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1988. He had won state awards for best actor thrice. The actor was awarded the 'Padmashree' in 2009.'Perumthachan,' 'Yavanika,' 'Kireedam,' 'Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu,' 'Indian Rupee,' 'Moonnampakkam' and 'Kilukkam' are some of the notable films he acted in. 'Ustad Hotel' is his last released film.An imposing presence on the Malayalam screen, Thilakan carved for himself an enviable position among actors in the last three decades of his film career with a rare versatility and genius. As many film-makers and actors openly acknowledge, it will be a void very hard to fill. Thilakan's colleagues in Malayalam filmdom had often stated that a positive energy flowed from him while doing combination scenes.

Thilkan's body would be kept for public viewing at the Victoria Jubilee Memorial Town Hall in Thiruvananthapuram from 11 a.m. and cremated at the electric crematorium around 4 p.m.Thilakan was born at Ayroor (now in Pathanamthitta district) on July 15, 1938. And he was born to act. His tryst with acting began while he was still at school. Acting – or theatre, to be more precise – was his vocation. It did not take him too long to make a mark as an exceptional performer on stage. His mentor P.J. Antony was his biggest influence in his theatre days.Though he made his debut in cinema in 1972 with Periyar, it was with K.G. George’s Kolangal (1981) that he truly arrived in the tinsel town. As a drunkard, he put in a superb performance in a brilliantly written and directed film. It was followed by Yavanika, another masterpiece from Geroge, in which Thilakan played a theatre manager.The film went on to attain cult status in Malayalam cinema, and though it was Mammootty, as sub inspector Jacob Eraly, who gained most from its success, Thilakan too made a huge impact.Films like Panchagni, Dhwani, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal, Rithubhedam, Jathakam and Nadodikkattuestablished him as a versatile actor.Then came Kireedom, in 1989. As Achuthan Nair, an ageing police constable who sees the dream for his son getting shattered, his performance was critically acclaimed. Many of his scenes with Mohanlal from Kireedom shows his mastery in acting.

Now, roles were written for him. A luxury often only the superstars could boast of.Like in 1980s, the golden age of Malayalam cinema, the 90s also saw Thilakan giving life to one memorable character after another. He was the hero in films such as Kattukuthira, Perunthachan, Santhangopalam, Gamanam and his performances were no less than the heroes in films such as Sandesam,Kilukkam, Georgekutty C/O Georgekutty, Radhamadhavam, Kauravar,Sphadikam and Veendum Chila Veettukaryangal.Age did not wither him as the new millennium too witnessed masterpieces from the actor. Filmslike Ekantham and Achan and more recently Indian Rupee andUstad Hotel reminded us, yet again, that he was in a class of his own. Ekantham fetched him a special jury award in 2007. He had won the National award for the best supporting actor for Rithubhedam in 1988.He won the State award for the best actor twice, for Perunthachan (1990) andGamanam and Santhanagopalam (both released in1994). He was the recipient of the second State best actor on six occasions, beginning with Yavanika (1982); the last was for Kattathoru Penpoovu (1998).He would be a strong contender for an award in Ustad Hotel, one of his last releases, too, as the jury meets to decide the State Awards next year.Thilakan, of course, had dominated the headlines more for controversies than his films over the last four years. He took on the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), which expelled him and he also faced a ban. Politicians and cultural icons, including Sukumar Azhikode, batted for him, but he was not part of the mainstream cinema for a while. But these couldn't stop Thilakan from acting.Thilakan returned to deliver an impressive performance with Indian Rupee,which fetched rave reviews.“I have never got as many phone calls as I did for Indian Rupee and that made me happy,” he had admitted. “I think people loved to see my comeback also because I had fought against certain evil practices in Malayalam cinema.”They would have loved to see him act, anyway. They always have.
Thilakan was cremated with full state honours at the electric crematorium herethis evening. Political, social, cultural leaders and a large number of people were present at the funeral. Ministers, MLAs, film personalities, social activists and hundreds of film lovers paid homage to the actor when his body was kept at the VJT hall in the morning. Culture Minister K C Joseph laid a wreath on the body on behalf of Defence Minister A K Antony and Minister for Cinema laid wreath on behalf of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Speaker G Karthikeyan, Ministers, film actors, producers and technicians also paid homage to one of the greatest actors on Malayalam screen. In his condolence message, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Thilakan was a great actor who had few equals.' He was a major presence on Malayalam stage and cinema for over four decades, the Chief Minister said. 

"Thilakan's death is a major loss for the Malayalam filmdom," Chandy said. Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan said the death was an irreparable loss to the progressive cultural forces in Kerala. Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair, in a message, said Thilakan was an artiste with great creative talent. Thilakan had fought against the `deviations' in Malayalam film industry, he said. Recalling Thilakan's association with films scripted by him, Nair said the actor could understand the nuances of a character with only a few inputs. "It is almost impossible to fill the vacuum created by his loss," he said. Film directors, actors and other film personalities also offered condolences recalling their long association with the veteran actor who charted out a path of his own in Malayalam cinema. Kottarakara based Kerala Kavya Kala Sahithy and Kurakar Cultural Forum offered condolence and recalling Thilakan's genius performance.

Prof. John Kurakar