Nedumudi Venu, icon & baritone voice of Malayalam Cinema, passes away at 73

Veteran actor Nedumudi Venu, who made an indelible mark in shaping the destiny of Malayalam cinema passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. 73-year-old Venu was recovering post-COVID and showed uneasiness on Sunday. He was rushed to the hospital and was in the ICU where he breathed his last on Monday.

Veteran actor Nedumudi Venu passes away

For an average Keralite, Nedumudi Venu was a genius actor and his acting prowess has hardly ever been vehemently critiqued as he committed to every character he essayed on-screen with utmost perfection. He has immortalised many characters as co-star, villain and even hero. Born on May 22, 1948, Nedumudi Venu became movie buffs' delight during the 80s, which makes his bibliography as old as the film industry itself. Born, Kesavan Venugopalan, the native of Alleppey was first brought to the limelight by lyricist Kavalam Narayana Panicker when Venu was working as a journalist. Subsequently, his acting gained much prominence in Theatre and coincided during the time  Malayalam Cinema itself had shifted from the superstardom of actor Jayan to a more plausible and rooted realism that captured the defining mood and spirit of the time.

Venu made his debut in director Aravindan's Thampu and joined in the new renaissance of Malayalam film followed by Mammooty and Mohanlal. Venu created his own body of work with his acting in director Bharathan's Aravam where he played the role of a hunter named Maruthu, who joins the circus troop that comes into town. Soon, Venu became one of the busiest stars in Malayalam cinema, at a time when known actors of today were just beginning to hit the wall of fame. Venu's range as an actor was highlighted with his performances in Chamaram (1980), Vidaparayum Munpe (1981), Oridathoru Phayalvaan (1981), Kallan
Pavithran ( 1981), Marmarram (1982), Vandanam ( 1989) where one could see the brilliant transformation of the actor on screen.

Venu became an indispensable part of the top directors of the 80s including Bharathan, Padmarajan and KG George and he captured the zeitgeist of the 80s. The role of Professor Kurien Fernandez in the movie Vandanam showed the mettle of Venu with his powerhouse performance as a villain.

If one would pick the epoch-making movies of the 90s, be it Bharatham (1991), Sargam (1992), Kamaladalam ( 1992),
Manichithrataazhu (1993), Devasuram (1993), Parinayam (1993), Perumthachan (1993), Thenmavil Kombath (1994), Guru (1997), Oru Maravathoor Kanavu (1998) Nedumudu Venu's characters had made an impact with his sheer screen presence. He was one among the few actors who could speak merely with his eyes.

From donning the role of an eccentric hunter Maruthu in the 80s to a fun-loving senior citizen Krishnankutty Menon in the movie Ishtam (2001) trying to get back to his college flame, from donning role as a serious classical music lover in films like Sargam, His Highness Abdullah to troubled Indian Embassy official in Akkare Akkare Akkare, Nedumudi Venu filled every Keralites heart with brilliant characters to remember. In Tamil film, his role in director Shankar's movie Indian and its sequel starring Kamal Hassan gave Venu a prominent role.

In the last two decades, Venu has donned many side roles in movies. His passion for folk music, classical music and his love for
percussion was well known to his fans. Young actors have always been taught by the veteran about the subtle nuances of being in front of the camera. Many big-budget movies were still lined up to be released where Nedumudi Venu plays a prominent role. In recent times, his role as an egoistic senior advocate in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan (2018) gave Keralites sheer joy. His baritone voice, movement of the hand with eyes closed rapt in classical music was just enough to define the mood of the moment on the reel. With Nedumudi Venu gone, Malayalam cinema loses another stalwart who hooked them to screen for over five decades.

Image: Twitter/@mohanlal