Kollywood actor Parthiban recalls ‘extraordinary journey’ as he bids adieu to Sreenivasan

Not many might have noticed Tamil actor Parthiban Radhakrishnan among the stars who gathered to bid farewell to the legendary actor, writer, and director Sreenivasan on Sunday. In an emotional post on his social media, Parthiban shared the extraordinary journey he undertook from Chennai to Kochi to pay his respects to his beloved Sreenivasan actor one last time.

Parthiban, who had a flight booked to Dubai, revealed that he cancelled his trip and booked a flight to Kochi instead. However, every flight was fully booked. Undeterred, he pleaded with the airline to allow him on board, even if it meant sitting next to the pilot. Finally, a kind staff member made it possible for him to board.

In his heartfelt post, Parthiban shared that he had hoped to go unnoticed in the midst of the big stars of Malayalam cinema, but filmmaker Rajesh Mohanan immediately recognised him and sent him a message that touched him deeply.

“It was an intense journey to Kochi. There were no flights at that time, so at 7:55 pm, I decided to take my car and drive to the airport. I narrowly escaped accidents at four different spots on the way. I was alone in the car. The flight was scheduled for 8:50 pm, and when I arrived at the airport at 8:40 pm, there were no seats left. Half-jokingly, I told the senior manager at IndiGo that even sitting in the pilot’s seat would be fine if that was the only option to get on the flight. At 9:25 pm, one of the staff members made it possible for me to board. I remain deeply grateful to that manager for making this happen. I reached Kochi by 11 pm, not knowing where to stay. Eventually, I found a modest three-star hotel near Sreenivasan sir’s home. I had been supposed to fly to Dubai that night but cancelled my flight and hotel to be there,” he wrote.

The actor also revealed the inexplicable pull that led him to be there, even though he could have offered his condolences from anywhere in the world. "I saw legends like Mohanlal, Mammootty, and Dileep there. I've experienced wealth, but what stood before me wasn’t money—it was a pure soul, a great creator, someone deserving of immense respect," Parthiban wrote on Instagram.

Parthiban also carried jasmine flowers to offer at Sreenivasan’s mortal remains. He imagined he would go unnoticed, but what mattered to him was that his sincere act of respect would resonate in the universe. "When something is done with complete sincerity, it reaches where it’s meant to—whether or not anyone sees it. I truly thought no one had recognised me, and I was at peace with that," he wrote.

However, Director Rajesh, whom Parthiban had worked with on the film ‘Escape from Uganda,’did recognise him in the crowd and later sent him a message.

"Seeing you in that crowd made me genuinely happy. Pure friendship, pure respect. Coming all the way from Chennai just to be there for Sreeniyettan speaks volumes about you. A good human, a true friend. Touched my heart, big brother. Huge respect. Today, you taught me a powerful life lesson, a philosophy. I learned something from you that will stay with me. Among all the heroes I met there, you were the biggest hero. They are all 'Gen Z' kids, but I want to show who a real hero is, and I’m doing that. They were all emotional when I told them someone came like this and left without making a noise."

Parthiban, who remained unnoticed by most in the crowd, might have been spotted by producer Anto Joseph, who later mentioned it to Mammootty. Parthiban, deeply moved by the sight of Sreenivasan’s body being consumed by fire, found comfort in Mammootty’s company. "I couldn’t bear the sadness as the fire engulfed Sreenivasan sir’s body, but Mammootty consoled me. He asked me to join him, and we spent the evening recalling beautiful memories with Sreenivasan. There are no language barriers when it comes to friendship. My mind felt calm when I left, silently, after paying my respects," Parthiban wrote.