This image was posted on Facebook by Kalabhavan Mani
Popular Malayalam actor Kalabhavan Mani died after battling liver disease in Kochi on Sunday, confirmed his family. He was 45. An investigating team has reportedly been formed to probe the cause of death after the police registered a case of 'unnatural death' on the basis of a complaint. (Also Read:
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The postmortem will be conducted at the Thrissur Medical College.
Tributes have been pouring in for the Mr Mani whose death has come as a rude shock for fans and is a big loss to the Telugu and Malayalam film industries.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy condoled the sudden death and said that Mr Mani would 'live through his ballads and the numerous characters he played'. His predecessor and Left leader VS Achuthanandan said that the actor excelled at playing characters 'projecting the trials and tribulations of the weaker sections of the society.'
"He was always bold enough to say that he was a very strong Left sympathiser and his untimely loss is a huge loss to the film industry," he said.
Originally an autorickshaw driver, Mr Mani first shot to fame as a mimicry artist as part of the famous troupe Kalabhavan. But it was his role as a blind man in V
asantiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum that fetched him widespread acclaim and won him the special jury award at the national and the state level in 2000.
For the past few years, he was busy playing a baddie in Tamil films and character roles in the Malayalam industry.
He is survived by his wife and a daughter.
With Inputs From IANS