RIP Nedumudi Venu: An integral part of the Malayalam film industry

He won National Awards in three categories in his career

Noted Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu passed away on Monday because of liver-related ailments, leaving fans heartbroken. He was 73. The powerhouse performer was born in Alappuzha in 1948 to M Kesavan Nair, a schoolmaster. He was the youngest of his siblings and had a keen interest in music right from a young age.

He began his film career with a minor role in the 1972 release Oru Sundariyude Katha, starring heartthrob Prem Nazir. The actor subsequently acted in films such as Thakara, Chamaram, and Tharattu, carving a niche for himself in the industry. He delivered award-winning performances in the Malayalam classics Bharatham and Thenmavin Kombath, which featured Mohanlal in the lead. Thenmavin Kombath was later loosely adapted in Tamil as Muthu, which helped it attain cult status.

Nedumudi Venu won the National Award for 'Best Supporting Actor' for his work in the 1990 release His Highness Abdullah, which continued his association with 'Lalettan'. The thriller featured him in the role of a Maharaja and had an engaging storyline with socio-political undertones.

Margam, which premiered in 2003, proved to be another landmark movie for him as it helped him garner a fair deal of international acclaim. The Rajiv Vijay Raghavan-helmed movie featured him in the role of a revolutionary who struggles to live life in seclusion and gave him the ideal platform to showcase his abilities. Nedumudi Venu also received rave reviews for his work in movies such as Oru Second Class Yatra, Saira and Rudra Simhasanam.

Nedumudi Venu also made an impact in Tamil cinema with his work in movies such as Anniyan, Sarvam Thalaa Mayam and Pol Solla Porom. It is, however, Kamal Haasan's 1996 classic Indian/Hindustani that is regarded as his most popular movie in the industry. His scenes with 'Ulaga Nayagan' were the big highlights of the classic. He was to be part of its sequel Indian 2 but the biggie has been put on hold. He will be seen in the Mohanlal movies Marakkar and Arattu, which will hit the screens once the Covid-19 situation in Kerala improves.
His death is a huge loss for the Malayalam film industry and marks the end of an era.