It was is unique style of dialogue delivery that made Kottayam Pradeep walk into the hearts of the Malayali audience, quite effortlessly. He is appreciated for his incredible portrayal of Trisha’s uncle in the super hit Tamil movie 'Vinnaithandi Varuvaya'. The actor, who is busy with a handful of projects, shares the memories of the houses that are extremely special to him.
Memories
Pradeep was born in the beautiful village called Thiruvathukkal in Kottayam. His parents are Raghavan and Padma. His father used to run a small hotel in Thiruvathukkal and his grandfather had a textile shop. Pradeep recalls his childhood as happy, having had the fortune to enjoy the warmth of a joint family. The family lived in a house that wasn’t too big, yet it had all the required facilities. Youngest of the four siblings, Pradeep happily says that he was pampered by his three elder sisters. He reveals that his family, jokingly, attributes his peculiar way of talking to his childhood, when he was loved and pampered by everyone.
Theater
Pradeep’s father owned a hotel close to the Radhakrishna Theater at Thiruvathukkal. The hotel was always crowded with people who came to watch movies at the theater. He never had to buy tickets to watch movies in that theater and often got the front seat for the matinee or second shows. “From Prem Nazir and Jayan to Mammootty and Mohanlal, many actors weaved magic on the screen in front of me. It was them who woke up the actor within me. Other than playing some minor roles in a few plays, I didn’t have much acting experience. I consider it extremely fortunate that films actually came my way,” says Pradeep.
Family
Pradeep works at the LIC division office at Nagambadom. He acts in the movies taking some time off his work. Maya is his wife. Pradeep’s son Vishnu is a fashion designer who is trying to become a film director. Daughter Vrinda works at the revenue department in the municipality.
House at Kumaranalloor
“During my childhood, we used to visit the Kumaranalloor temple for the famed Thrikarthika festival. I fell in love with the place since then. I bought a house at Kumaranalloor so that I could happily attend the festivals at the temple. We have been living in the two storied house that stands in a 10 cents plot, near the temple, for the last twenty years. It is my wife who maintains the house beautifully. The house was recently re-painted in pleasant blue and white shades. As there are lots of trees on the front courtyard, the temperature never rises inside the house. This place has all the virtues of a charming village. Besides, the town is close by.
We wake up everyday to the devotional songs played on loudspeakers from the temple at 4 am. The atmosphere is filled with a unique divine presence. So I feel extremely happy and relaxed when I am home after the hectic schedules. The movies are mostly shot at Kochi. However, I have no plans to leave this place which is abundantly blessed by the Goddess of Kumaranalloor,” Kottayam Pradeep signs off.
