Kottayam: Captain Raju, nasty villain on screen and perfect gentleman off screen, had been an inevitable part of several blockbuster films made by leading directors in Malayalam. Despite the dislike he had deep in his heart for negative roles, Raju always made his presence felt, keeping his 'Captain' touch, on the screen with his distinctive voice and impressive figure.
The actor had a feeling that people often kept a distance from him due to the many negative roles that he did. He wasn't comfortable doing villain roles, and wept when he had to do scenes like murder. Raju once said that he took the firm decision to quit such roles when his mother passed away.
“My mother disliked to see me in such roles,” he had said. The decision to quit playing a baddie was a turning point in his life. Raju went on to draw applause as a character actor as also those with a comic touch.
Television serials made him a favourite of drawing room audience too. Apart from the 500-plus films, which include those in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and English too, he did some 10 serials also.
Army to arts
Raju was born in Omallur, Pathanamthitta, as one of the seven children of Daniel, a school headmaster, and Annamma, a teacher. He joined the Indian Army as a second lieutenant at the age of 21, after finishing his degree course, and left the force as a Captain.
He made his debut in acting on the Mumbai stage. Life in the films started with 'Raktham' directed by Joshiy, maker of several megabits. That followed a series of villain roles, but in 1983 he almost turned a hero with 'Rathilayam' produced by actor Madhu and directed by Chandrakumar which had the sensational Silk Smitha in the female lead. Raju climbed the steps with films like 'Thadakam', 'Mortuary' and 'Asuran'.
In 1997 Raju directed 'Itha Oru Snehagadha,' a film focused on communal amity. In 2012 he had started work on 'Mister Pavanayi 99.99,' what could have been the second coming of his most-loved character Pavanayi.
Pavanayi, who appeared in the 1987 rollicking comedy 'Nadodikkattu', became a hot favourite among moviegoers. Another milestone in his career was the role of Aringodar in 'Vadakkan Veeragadha,' scripted by legendary writer M T Vasudevan Nair and directed by Hariharan, one of the leading lights of Malayalam cinema. Twenty years later the same team entrusted the legendary character of Unni Mootha to him in “Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja' and he did a commendable job.
Raju appeared as an inspector in 'Cotton Mary,' directed by Ismail Merchant in 1999. It was Priyadarshan who cast him in Hindi with his 'Kashmakash.'
