Malayalam actor Unnikrishnan Namboothiri passed away at a private hospital in Kannur on Wednesday, 20 January. The 98-year-old had been undergoing treatment in the ICU after having tested positive for COVID-19. He was discharged on Tuesday after testing negative but was readmitted a day later as his health worsened.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared a message on Facebook honouring the late actor. It reads, “Unnikrishnan Namboothiri was an actor who excelled in expressive acting. He was known to be a distinct personality in the field of cinema for his age-old interest and confidence for the same. A fellow leftist, he had closely associated with the CPI(M). His demise is a great loss to the artist fraternity. This is a personal loss for me as well. The gap left by his death in the cultural space, cannot be easily filled.”
Unnikrishnan Namboothiri made his acting debut with Desadanam in 1996. He played a pivotal role in Kamal Haasan's hit comedy-drama Pammal K Sambandam. He was also known for movies like Kaikudunna Nilavu (1998), Kaliyattam (1997), Sadanandante Samayam (2003), Madhuranombarakattu (2000), Rappakal (2005), and Pokkiri Raja (2010).
A native of Payyanur, Namboothiri is survived by his sons Bhavadasan and PV Kunjikrishnan and daughters Devi and Yamuna.
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