Legendary actor Nedumudi Venu passed away on October 11, Monday afternoon. He was 73. The veteran actor had been rushed to a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday after he developed uneasiness. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, doctors had said then. The actor had earlier recovered from COVID-19. Known for his exceptional performances in commercial and art cinema, Nedumudi Venu has played many roles that are etched in the hearts of film viewers.

Born Kesavan Venugopal, Nedumudi was his stage name, after the village in Kuttanad he came from. Nedumudi, who started in theatre and was closely associated with Kavalam Narayana Panicker, later forayed into films. He has acted in over 500 films, predominantly in Malayalam and a few notable ones in Tamil. He is the winner of three National Film Awards and six Kerala State Film Awards.

Nedumudi played many memorable characters, notably the music-passionate patriarch that his family wants to kill in His Highness Abdullah, the drunken musician in Bharatham and many more. Having played male lead characters in the 1980s, he later switched to character roles. He excelled both in comedy and serious roles, and also played a villain occasionally. Chithram, Bharatham, Thenmavin Kombath, Vandanam, Manichithrathazhu, Chandralekha, Devasuram, Ishtam, Pavithram, Oppam, His Highness Abdullah are some of his most popular films. In Tamil, he was noticed for his roles in movies like Indian. Most recently he was seen in the Tamil anthology Navarasa as a school principal trying to get his daughter married.

Starting his career as a journalist, the actor was also known for his taste in music, especially folk songs. He had rendered memorable ones like ‘Athirukakkum mala’ in movies. Nedumudi Venu was immensely popular not just among his fans but also among his colleagues in the film industry due to his pleasing and jovial nature.