Malayalam Actor Mohan Raj, Popularly Known As Keerikkadan Jose, Dies At 70

Mohan Raj, popularly known for his antagonist roles in Malayalam movies, died on Thursday, October 3, at his house in Thiruvananthapuram, per PTI. The veteran actor was 70 when he breathed his last. He died while undergoing treatment for various ailments at his home in Kanjiramkulam. The last rites will be held on Friday.

Who was Mohan Raj?

Mohan Raj was a Central government official before being roped in as the villain in Kireedam, his second film in 1989. Owing to his prolific performance, fans started calling him by his character's name Keerikadan Jose. The film also saw Mohanlal as the hero which turned out to be one of the all-time hits in Malayalam cinema.

After the movie's stupendous success, the stock of Mohan Raj alias Jose also skyrocketed, and he went on to feature in more than 300 films, including Lollipop, Swamy, Koodikazhcha and Naale Ennundengil. Apart from movies, he has also featured in three TV shows - Kadamattathu Kathanar, Swami Ayyappan and Moonumani.

A few years ago, while doing a stunt scene for a Telegu film he suffered a leg injury and from then on he was unable to recover fully.

He was last seen in the 2022 movie Rorshach, starring Mammootty in the lead. After the release of the movie, his health deteriorated owing to which, he used to remain at home.

Celebs and fans pay tribute to Mohan Raj

Soon after the news of his death broke out, industry friends and fans flooded the X with tribute posts. Film critic Sreedhar Pillai shared a still from his movie Kireedam and informed the fans about his death. "Actor #Mohanraj is no more. He was popular for his character as the deadly villain 'Keerikadan Jose' in @Mohanlal’s iconic 'Kireedam'! Mohanraj has done over 300 films in Malayalam and various other languages and has been suffering from Parkinson's disease & diabetes and moved to Thiruvananthapuram a year ago from Chennai for Ayurvedic treatment," he wrote.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan expressed their condolence on the death of Mohan Raj. In a heartfelt note on his Facebook page, Mohanlal, who portrayed the lead character Sethu in Kireedam, said that to be called and recognised by the name of a character is a blessing that only an artist who has achieved the pinnacle of acting can receive. "Our beloved Mohan Raj, who portrayed the immortal character Keerikkadan Jose in Kireedam, has left us. I remember his grandeur standing in front of the camera, facing off against Sethu, as if it were yesterday. With tears in my eyes, I bid farewell to my dear friend, who maintained goodness and humility in his personal life," Lal said.

Mammootty also paid tribute to the actor on his Facebook page, 

Fans, on the other hand, shared his photo on X and wrote, "RIP Mohan Raj - (Keerikkadan Jose)".