Kochi: Malayalam actor Paravoor Bharathan, who acted in nearly 300 regional films, died on Wednesday at his home near here in Kerala. He was 86 and was ailing for a while.
Recalling her times with Bharathan, national award winning actress Saradha said that she knew him right from the time she began her film career in the Malayalam industry.
"Two months back, I along with a few friends visited him at his home. All of us were so excited and happy about the time we spent together. He was a wonderful human being and was always very humble and modest."
Calling Paravoor Bharathan's death as a big loss to Malayalam industry, actor Innocent said, “Bharathan was a talented and genuine personality. Enacting a comic role is not an easy job and he does it with all seriousness. In fact there is not any other actor who does character roles with all ease.
“There are no roles which Bharathan has not tried,” recalls actor Salim Kumar. “Bharathan has marked his own identity with his acting skills. I even doubt if there is any other actor who can replace his place,” said Salim Kumar.
Ace comedian and character actor Jagadish recalled Bharathan as a simple and jovial person.
"I have had the good fortune of sharing many a screen with the hugely talented actor, who always made acting look very simple. His passing away is a huge loss to all of us and the industry," said Jagadish.
Bharathan is survived by his former actress wife Thankamani, who has acted in the theatre and films, three sons and a daughter.
Although he began his career in the late 1940s in drama, he first appeared in films in 1951 and till 2009 was an integral part of the film industry.
He had been suffering from age-related ailments since 2009.
(With agency inputs)