Veteran Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu passes away

The 73-year-old actor breathed his last at the KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where he was undergoing treatment for a stomach ailment. 

Veteran Malayalam actor Nedumudi Venu passed away on Monday. The 73-year-old actor breathed his last at the KIMS hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where he was undergoing treatment for a stomach ailment. 

His wife and children were at the hospital at the time of his death. 

Nedumudi Venu has acted in over 500 films in Malayalam and Tamil. He has written scripts for many films and directed a film. He has won two National Film Awards and six Kerala State Film Awards for his various performances in cinema. 

With the demise of Nedumudi Venu, the film industry has lost one of the most talented actors in Indian cinema. 

Nedumudi Venu was born on May 22, 1948 in Kuttanad. His birthplace is Nedumudi in the Alappuzha district. He was the youngest of five brothers. His father, PK Keshavan Pillai was a school teacher. 

Nedumudi received his primary education from Higher Secondary School, Champakulam and St Mary's Higher Secondary School, Alappuzha. He worked as a journalist with Kalakaumudi but later became active in theatre. Nedumudi came to the cinema while being active in drama.

In the 1980s, Nedumudi worked closely with directors Bharat Gopi, Aravindan and Padmarajan. Nedumudi, who initially excelled as a lead actor, later made his mark as a character actor. Another feature is that he was active in cinema until his death about his film debut. 

As an actor, he took keen interest in literature and played a leading role in everything from folk songs to experimental plays.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan mourned the demise of the veteran actor.

The chief minister said that Nedumudi Venu played a significant role in elevating acting to an emotional level. 

Terming the actor's demise as an irreparable loss, Pinarayi Vijayan said that through different characters, Nedumudi established a permanent presence in the minds of the audience.