One of the most unassuming actors in films, Paravoor Bharathan's legacy is rooted to the vintage era of Malayalam filmdom. Bharathan embarked on his film career in 1951 with a tiny role in the film Raktha Bandham and was active in films till 2009, crossing over genres and working with filmmakers of all ages.
Though he appeared in villain roles initially, Bharathan turned to comedy and made it his bastion for the rest of his career. Soon, actor spun his unique style of acting along the lines of Thikkurissi, who is considered as the patriarch of Malayalam cinema.
Bharathan was born in a modest family in Vavakkad near North Paravoor in 1928. He lost his father, a toddy tapper, very early. Further, he was nurtured by his mother Kurumbakkutty, a coir worker.
Bharathan exhibited his talent from his school days itself. By presenting a toddy tapper through a mono act, he was actually cementing his place in theatrics.
Kedamangalam Sadasivan, a noted theater artist and screenplay writer, witnessed the performance and gave Bhrathan his first chance in a play. Bharathan thus donned the role of a landlord and there was no looking back for him since then. It was a continuous journey, in which he saw his life partner in Thankamani, the heroine of the play 'Maattoli'.
Bharathan was an artiste who was curious about the growth of the fame of his place along with his name in films. He became a permanent presence in the amateur drama committees, which gained prominence in the 1940s in his region. He had also performed in the plays of Jose Prakash. It was this proximity with the field of theatre that had led him to the cinema. Bharathan's role as a villain in the film Karutha Kai, directed by M. Krishnan Nair in 1964, was the turning point in his life. The evergreen song Panchavarna Thathapole, which had featured him, is still regarded as a cult film song sequence in Malayalam.
Characters essayed by Bhrathan are as diverse as the number of films he acted. He has acted in as many as 1000 films, Changathikkottam being the last. Most of them were not roles, which would attract critical acclaims but mundane and far too simple portrayal that would hardly catch the eyes of a critic. Yet, they served as inevitable minute ingredients needed to render a cinematic portrayal its wholesomeness.
Mazhavilkavadi, Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal, Mrigaya, In Harihar Nagar, Godfather, Ammayane Sathyam and Meleparambil Aanveedu are some his prominent films. He had last acted in a tele film 'Parethante Vilapam'. It's a coincidence that his end came on the day the film Chemmeen, in which he acted, completed 50th anniversary. The thespian is survived by his wife Thankamani.