Veteran Malayalam actor Mamukkoya passed away on Wednesday, April 26th, afternoon. He was 76. Mamukkoya was undergoing treatment after he had suffered a heart attack during the inauguration of a football tournament at Wandoor in Kerala’s Malappuram district. He was first admitted to a Wandoor hospital and then moved to a private hospital in Kozhikode.
It has been reported that the veteran actor was responding to the treatment at Kozhikode. However, he reportedly suffered another cardiac arrest followed by a haemorrhage. Thereafter the doctors couldn’t save him, and he died on Wednesday afternoon.
Malayalam film industry expressed its shock at the news of Mamukkoya’s death. Veteran actors like Mohanlal and Mammootty expressed their grief on social media and paid their condolences to Mamukkoya’s family members.
“Beloved Mamukkoya was a man without pretension and full of goodness. This unique talent presented the Malabar style on the silver screen in a very natural way. I have been lucky enough to act with him in so many films, from Doore Doore Oru Koodu Koottam to the recent film directed by Priyadarshan, Olavum Theeravum. That innocent smile will never fade away and will remain in my heart forever. It is a great loss to Malayalam cinema, and I offer my condolences on his demise.” – Mohanlal wrote on Facebook.
Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted, “Mamukkoya, with his lively and novel on-screen performances, has enthralled film lovers across Kerala for decades. His sudden demise is a big loss to the industry, the world of art and the state’s public sphere. Joining the grief of family, friends, and the film world.”
Mamukkoya started as a theatre actor and made his silver screen debut with the 1979 film Anyarude Bhoomi. He acted in over 400 films in the last 44 years, including films like Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Sandesham, Nadodikattu, Vadakkunokkiyantram, Innathe Chintha Visheyam, etc. He also won the Kerala State Award for his comedic and other character roles in 2004 and 2008.
His last appearance was on Sulaikha Manzil, which was released on April 21st. Mamukkoya is survived by his wife and four children. His last rites will be conducted on Thursday, April 27th.
