Director Kamal said that his friendship with Innocent started from his college days. They started filming together in Kodambakkam. When called to act in a film, he comes to his location without asking about the character. Kamal says that Innocent wrote the hilarious dialogue in the movie Azhakiya Ravana and it later became popular. Kamal also says that Innocent’s departure is a big loss for Malayalam cinema and Kala Kerala.
“Innocent was my elder brother who was with me since my college days. I studied in Iringalakuda Christ College. His house is near the college. My friendship with him started then. He was not a big actor then. We started life together in Kodambakkam and I worked with him in films when I was a co-director. My own thirty-seven He has acted in films. He has played very different roles. The actor known as Innocent was an integral part of the Malayalam films of the eighties and nineties. He was active in all kinds of films. An era of Mohanlal and Mammootty has been active through artists like Jagathy, Innocent, Shankaradi Chetan. It was a great friendship.
If we call to act in a film, he does not ask about the character. Come to the location saying Kamal’s film, Sathyan’s film and then tell him about the character and then he will improvise a lot. That is the uniqueness seen in him as an actor. His characters will have a signature to inspire us all. There are some scenes where he puts his own contribution in the dialogues and makes for a big laugh. He wrote that dialogue in the scene where he says ‘Ariperukki’ in the movie My Azhakia Ravana. Later it became very popular.
All directors can relate to this kind of experience. He had a unique style as an actor. Malayalis never tired of him. Everyone loved him. It is a miracle that only he can say that he has continued as the president of the organization ‘Amma’ for eighteen years. He was a man who could control the stars with humor. Mammootty, Mohanlal, including Madhu sir, who is more senior than him, does not feel bad or embarrassed if he jokes or scolds him. He had a knack for bringing everyone together.
He was recovering from cancer while working in politics. Through the book ‘Laughter in the Cancer Ward’, he also made an attempt to convince people that he had beaten cancer. He will always remain as a green man in the minds of Malayalees by being an inspiration to sick people rather than the characters he played. I know firsthand what he has done as an MP. He has done a lot for cancer patients. As a person, a public activist and a great actor, his passing away is a great loss to Malayalam cinema, Kala Kerala and Malayalees,” said Kamal.