Veteran Malayalam actor Vareed Thekkethala, mononymously known as Innocent, passed away at 75 at a private hospital in Kochi on Sunday. He was under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support after his condition turned worse. A cancer survivor, he was hospitalised for nearly three weeks due to cancer-related complications.
In a career spanning five decades, Innocent has starred in over 750 movies, primarily in Malayalam and a few in Tamil and Hindi. He served as president of the artistes’ guild, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, during 2003-18. He was last seen in the Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi-starrer ‘Kaduva.’
Born in Irinjalakuda in 1948, Innocent made his acting debut in the 1972 movie ‘Nrithasala,’ headlined by the yesteryear stars Prem Nazir and Jayabharathi. He played a minor role in the movie and in a few more movies before his talent was recognised by filmmakers. Innocent is known for its unique style and voice of comedy and is a favourite among mimicry artists. He went on to play memorable roles in the epic box office hits ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ which spawned remakes in Tamil and Hindi; ‘Manichitrathazhu,’ ‘Sandesam,’ ‘Vietnam Colony,’ ‘Kilukkam’ and ‘Devaasuram.’ In ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ his role as Mannar Mathai, the irritable theatre owner who gets bombarded with “wrong calls” — a legacy of the pre-mobile phone era — continues to inspire memes and holds its place in popular culture to this day.
He has received many awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards and seven Asianet Film Awards. He is married to Alice, and the couple has a son, Sonnet.
Innocent had an equally colourful career in politics. He won elections to the Irinjalakuda Municipality in 1979. In 2009, he contested the 2014 elections to Lok Sabha, India's Parliament, from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur district. Five years later, he lost to a candidate backed by the United Democratic Front.
The actor has authored five books: 'Njan Innocent' (I am Innocent), 'Cancer Wardile Chiri' (Laughter In The Cancer Ward, a biography), Irinjalakudakku Chuttum (In And Around Irinjalakuda)), Mazha Kannadi (Mirror Of Rain, a collection of short stories) and Chirrikku Pinnil (Behind The Laughter).