Veteran Malayalam cinema character actor Thilakan passes away

Thiruvananthapuram: Veteran Malayalam actor Thilakan passed away at a hospital here early Monday. He was 74. The actor, who died at 3 a.m., was in a critical condition after suffering two heart attacks. He was part of nearly 300 films, most of them in Malayalam. [caption id=“attachment_465785” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Screen grab from CNN IBN[/caption] Beginning his career in the 1950s, he became famous with his 1979 film “Ulkadal”. His latest film was “Ustad Hotel”. The actor had picked up several honours for his acting including the Padmashri  in 1999. Thilakan who began his acting career in his intermediate days, had been associated with several drama troupes in his early days including the pro-Left Kerala Peoples’ Arts Centre (KPAC). He entered the filmdom in 1979 with a minor role in K G George’s ‘Ulkadal’. Since then, he had acted in more than 200 films and won several national and state awards. He won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1988. He had won state awards for best actor thrice. The actor was awarded the ‘Padmashree’ in 2009. Perumthachan,Yavanika, Kireedam, Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu,’Indian Rupee, Moonnampakkam and Kilukkam are some of the notable films he acted in. Ustad Hotel was his last release . The Hindu reported that the body would be kept for public viewing at the Victoria Jubilee Memorial Town Hall in Thiruvananthapuram from 11 a.m. and cremated at the electric crematorium around 4 p.m. with inputs from IANS