Eight years of Kalabhavan Mani’s memory. The passing away of Kalabhavan Mani, who danced and sang in the minds of the Malayalees, is still a great loss. Just like the name of the last film he acted in, Mani’s return was also without asking for a ride. A major loss for the Malayalis in March. On March 6, 2016, Mani’s death shocked the entire film world.
Mani gets the movie from mimicry venues. Mani started acting as a comedy star and later found his place in films as villain and hero. Apart from Malayalam, Mani created fans with his excellent performance in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. The fans were captivated by the folk songs. Even at the height of his fame, Mani kept his native Chalakudy and the people of Chalakudy close to his chest.
Mani’s life was lively like the song. Mani was a celebration. A multi-faceted mirror before every Malayali struggling from poverty. A student who was backward in studies and excelled in all subjects except studies. An ordinary guy who stopped studying in class 10 and earned his livelihood as a coconut picker, sand sweeper and autorickshaw driver.
In the Malayalam cinema world where beauty was clearly rooted and caste system was indirectly rooted, the young man had only the possibilities of being confined to the role of a hero, a domestic servant, a milkman or a carpenter. But the artist managed to win the hearts of the Malayalees when Kalabhavan Mani brought life to his characters with talent, innocent laughter, spontaneous humor and folk songs. That special rhythmic laugh made Mani familiar to both young and old people.
Kalabhavan Mani made his film debut with the role of an auto driver in the film ‘Aksharam’. Mani’s role as Chetkuaran Rajapan in the film ‘Sallapam’ made him stand out. Then, it was Mani’s time. A handful of irreplaceable characters. Vasanthium Lakshmium pine njanum, Karumadikuttan, Valkannadi, Karadi, Ben Johnson, etc., Mani shined as hero, antagonist and co-star. In South Indian cinema, Mani equaled only Mani.
On March 5, 2016, Kalabhavan Mani was found in the guest house ‘Paddy’ near the house, vomiting blood. He was immediately admitted to a hospital in Ernakulam but died the next day.
