Retired army officer Raju Daniel, who hailed from Pathanamthitta's Omallur, is known widely after his role in his early profession, but owing to his subsequent career in a popular field. He simply let his passion for acting to become his purpose and became Keralites' own 'Captain' Raju. Raju, a strapping figure of 6 feet, 5 inches, executed cop roles with elan. His resolute expression and assertive tone of speech made his villain characters memorable. The sheer contradiction between his sturdy figure and flexible acting helped him to distinguish himself as a celebrated comedian too. As the 67-year-old versatile actor passed away here on Monday, leaving behind a handful of undone character roles.
Onmanorama lists 10 Malayalam movies which prove that Captain was indeed a complete performer of Mollywood.
Tough cop
Khakhi fits perfectly well for this ex-service personnel. Among the many cop roles performed by Raju, DYSP Prabhakara Varma of 'Oru CBI Diary Kurippu' (1988) could be the most cherished one. The prequel of all 'Sethuramayyar movies' which set the Mollywood audience on the edge of their seats, opens with a parade of Kerala police which is overlooked by Raju's stern cop character.
'Aranyakam,' MT-Hariharan duo's 1988 drama starring Saleema and Devan, also has Raju as a police officer who is close to Jagannatha Varma's modern-age feudal lord character.
Daring villain
IV Sasi's 1988 investigative revenge drama 'Avanazhi' unleashed Raju's one of the best negative characters. Satyaraj, the dreaded villain who snatched SI Balram's (Mammootty) ex-lover, is one of the powerful antagonist characters of Mollywood. His character had outwitted Balram in the court with the help of his advocate ally, and got the protagonist expelled from the force.
The same filmmaker's 1984 movie 'Athirathram' has also got Raju in the prime villain role, named Rajesh. Rajesh, the killer of protagonist Tharadas's uncle, is also the husband of Thulasi, Tharadas's ex-lover. Though Rajesh dies midway, he is indeed one of the most impressive villains in Malayalam cinema.
Proud patriarch
If you think that Raju played only tough masculine roles, you are probably wrong! In 'Kalyanasougandhikam,' a 1996 comedy starring Dileep and Divya Unni, Raju plays the role of an aged patriarch called Kunnamangalam Neelakantan Vaidyar who heads an aristocratic joint family. A typical grandfather with a cloudy white hair, a noisy walking stick and trembling voice, Vaidyar also does some extremely emotional scenes towards climax.
Versatile comedian
No Malayali movie-goer can forget Pavanayi, the dreaded gangster who came to slay CID Dasan and his aide Vijayan in Sathyan Anthikkad's 'Nadodikkaattu' (1987.) Pavanayi had a variety of weapons in his suitcase that his prey could choose from. Yet, a slip of a foot killed him amid a breathtaking roof-top encounter. Raju's gangster character who came straight from Bombay underworld is still reminisced by the Malayalam movie lovers through Thilakan's famous dialoge 'Angane Pavanayi shavamaayi.'
Superhit 2003 Johny Antony movie 'CID Moosa' has the handsome actor in a similar comedy role, named Karunan Chanthakkavala, aka Karan Chand. A veteran gangster, Karunan, has an exclusive vehicle with high-end technology and a secret hideout. Raju's character in 'CID Moosa' raised loud waves of laughter in the theatres right from the entry till the exit. His flair in delivering slapstick comedy with rigid expressions and robust voice makes his comedy roles distinguished.
Brave warrior and a caring father
MT-Hariharan duo's epic historical drama 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha' unraveled a different shade of the actor in Raju. He played the role of Aringodar, the Tulunad martial art expert and master 'Chekavar.' The vast wisdom, intense dialogues and swift Kalarippayattu moves of Aringodar was perfectly delivered by the former army man.
Later in 2002, he reappeared as a warrior in PG Viswambharan's 'Puthooram Puthri Unniyarcha' as Unniyarcha's father Kannappa Chekavar. Though Raju played the role of a caring father more than that of a warrior in this movie, his character required a level of physical flexibility indeed.
Raju has played the character of a doting father in several other movies. In the 1999 Jose Thomas movie 'Udayapuram Sultan' starring Dileep and Preetha Vijayakumar, he played the role of Abdul Rahman, Dileep's father. Rahman, with his fathomless love for his wife (Ambika) gives his son an opportunity to reunite her with her family, which had expelled her for marrying a Muslim man.
