JOIN USMalayalam film star Kalabhavan Mani was today cremated with full state honours at his home town here with thousands of mourners bidding a tearful farewell to the actor.
The cremation was held in the compound of his residence in front of a large gathering of relatives, friends and his fans, who had come from different parts of the state to pay homage to 45-year old Mani.
Police had a tough time managing the crowd.Mani had won special jury National and state awards for his role in the popular film "Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njannum". Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his demise.
"A promising career is cut short. Kalabhavan Mani was multifaceted and popular. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans," Modi tweeted.
Mani passed away yesterday at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) in Kochi where he had undergone treatment for liver and kidney ailments.
The actor's body was brought to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital this morning for an autopsy after doctors at AIMS found substance of methanol in his blood samples.
On information from the hospital, police have registered a case of unnatural death and constituted a special investigation team to probe the cause. Samples of his viscera have been sent for chemical analysis and the reports were expected in two days, police said.
There was a long stream of mourners at the Thrissur Medical College Hospital, Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi and the chalakudy municipal office where the body was kept to enable the public to pay their last respects to the actor, who rose from humble beginnings to carve a niche for himself in the South Indian film industry.