Mumbai, June 7 (IANS) Padma Bhushan awardee Mammootty has mourned the demise of the Malayalam actor Salim Kumar, who passed away at the age of 56.
The Malayalam cinema legend took to his X, formerly Twitter, and shared a picture of the late actor, and penned a long note in Malayalam.
He wrote, “Salim, who laughed and made others laugh, thought and made others think, and occasionally cried and made others cry, now, all you do is make me cry. Your departure, dear brother, has become an unending sorrow”.
The actor reportedly died at around 10:43 pm on Saturday. The actor, who had undergone a liver transplant a few years ago, was admitted to the hospital earlier in the day and was placed on ventilator support.
Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan also mourned the actor’s death and wrote on X, “He wasn’t just the prince of laughter to me, #SalimKumar was a deeply connected soul, fearless in his political beliefs and proud to say he stood with Congress. A versatile genius who could make us laugh and cry with the same face. Malayalam cinema lost a legend, and I lost a brother”.
Salim Kumar was one of the most celebrated performers in Malayalam cinema, renowned for his exceptional comic timing, expressive acting, and remarkable versatility. He started his career as a mimicry artist with ‘Kalabhavan’, he rose to prominence in the late 1990s and 2000s through memorable roles in films such as ‘Meesa Madhavan’, ‘Pulival Kalyanam’ and others.
His characters and dialogues became deeply embedded in Kerala’s popular culture and remain widely quoted. Beyond comedy, he earned critical acclaim for dramatic performances, most notably in Adaminte Makan Abu, which won him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
He also received multiple Kerala State Film Awards and later ventured into directing and writing, with his film Karutha Joothan earning recognition for its story. Over a career spanning nearly three decades and hundreds of films, he evolved from a beloved comedian into one of Malayalam cinema’s finest character actors.
–IANS
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