Malayalam actor Thilakan no more

Veteran Malayalam actor Thilakan, who enthralled audience with his portrayal of diverse characters on stage and screen for nearly four decades, died at a private hospital here early on Monday following a cardiac arrest.

He was 77 and had been ailing for some time. Thilakan was admitted to the hospital on August 23 after he suffered two mild heart attacks. He had been on and off ventilator since then and died at 3:35 am on Monday, sources said.

The veteran actor, who kickstarted his acting career in his intermediate days, left an indelible mark on stage before entering films. He was associated with several drama troupes including the pro-Communist Kerala Peoples’ Arts Centre (KPAC) in his early days.

His first notable presence on screen was in ‘Ulkadal’ (1979) directed by K G George. His first minor role was in ‘Gandharva Kshetram’ (1972) by A Vincent and then in ‘Periyar’ (1973) by P J Antony, according to film historian Balagopal.

Thilakan won the national award for best supporting actor for his performance in ‘Ritubhedangal’ in 1988. In 2007, he got special mention from the national jury for his role in the film ‘Ekantham.’ He had won the state government’s best actor award twice and the best supporting award six times.