Actor Innocent, who passed away on March 26 last year, was a towering presence in Malayalam films from the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s and 2000s. His unique mannerisms, his Irinjalakuda dialect and his cheek-in-tongue dialogues made him endearing to Malayalis worldwide. Who can forget the ever-forgetful theatre troupe owner Mannar Mathai from the super hit film 'Mannar Mathai Speaking' or Thekkadathu Ramankutty from the comic caper 'Kalyanaraman'? On his first death anniversary, we take a look at some of the actor's most recent films, two of which released posthumously.
Pachuvum Athbuthavilakkum
This Akhil Sathyan-starrer was the last film the veteran actor starred in before he breathed his last. The actor, who often played the friendly sidekick or friend in Sathyan Anthikad's films appeared as a lovable friend of Pachu's (Fahadh's) father in 'Pachuvum Athbuthavilakkum'. He takes the initiative to arrange a wife for Pachu who was unable to find a partner for a long time. His tech-savvy nature as opposed to Mukesh's inability to navigate his car properly makes for a fun watch.
Philips
Actor Innocent plays a prominent role as the protagonist's friend Mani in the movie. The film features Mukesh as a widower who faces hurdles while raising his three children alone. He faces setbacks one after another and finds the going tough. But his difficulties are eased due to the support he receives from his life-long friend Mani. Innocent has played several such soft-spoken, faithful characters in the past, most notably, the elderly right-hand man Varrier in the film 'Devasuram'.
Kaduva and Makal
Actor Innocent played Fr Vattasheril in the Prithviraj-starrer 'Kaduva' directed by Shaji Kailas, while he essayed the role of Nandan’s (Naslen) father in the Sathyan Anthikad movie ‘Makal’. Though his presence aims to evoke humour, Innocent’s controlled mannerisms made him an ideal choice to play serious, father roles in films during the later stages of his career.
