Innocent (actor)

Innocent (actor)
Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (28 February 1948 – 26 March 2023), known mononymously as Innocent, was an Indian actor, film producer, writer and politician. He predominantly worked in Malayalam films in addition to few Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English films, mostly in comedic roles. In a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in more than 700 films and is considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema. He also appeared in roles with negative shades such as in Mazhavilkavadi, Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu and Ganamela. Innocent had won several awards, including Kerala State Film Award and Kerala Film Critics Award. He served as the Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) of India representing Chalakudy constituency.
In 1979, he was elected as the municipal councilor of Irinjalakuda municipality. Innocent won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate supported by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Innocent served as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018.
In 2012, Innocent along with his wife, was diagnosed with throat cancer. After overcoming the first stage of cancer, he returned to the silver screen in 2013 with films like Geethanjali. Cancer Wardile Chiri (Laughter in the Cancer Ward) is a memoir written by Innocent while he was undergoing cancer treatment. Innocent wrote seven books based on his experiences at different phases of life with a humorous undertone. He has also contributed to columns in numerous magazines and newspapers. In 2020, Innocent won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour for his book Irinjalakudaku Chuttum.
Early life
Innocent was born on 28 February 1948 to Vareed Thekkethala and Margaret in Irinjalakuda, Kingdom of Cochin (present-day Kerala). He was the fifth child and third son of his parents, who had eight children. He had his primary education at Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, and Sree Sangameswara NSS School, Irinjalakuda. He studied till eighth grade and discontinued his studies as he could not cope with studying. Innocent went to Madras (then) for his acting career and worked there as a production executive.
During the emergency years, Innocent made his way to Davanagere and joined his cousins George (studying medicine at JJM Medical College), Davis, and his brother Sunny who were managing the Shamannur Match factory. Later, he became the proprietor of the factory. To get detailed insight into his early struggles and making of Innocent, the actor, please refer: My contemporary Cousin in thefreshblog.com
As Innocent was keen on the performance activities, he seized the opportunity to participate in Davangere, Kerala Samajam drama, and received audience approval in entertainment events.
Innocent left Davangere in 1974. He tried his hand at multiple businesses and jobs to eke out a living. From being a stationary owner to a wholesale sandal distributor to setting up a leather business to a cycle renting business to a cement supplier and also that of a coach cum manager of a volleyball team, a game he knew nothing about.
Growing up, he had a few conflicts with his father, Vareed, because his brothers continued to have an excellent education and became successful doctors, lawyers, and judges. After some time, he entered politics and became Municipal councilor of Irinjalakuda.
Film career
Innocent entered the film industry in 1972 with the movie Nritashala. At first, he produced a few serious offbeat films, but he was not successful. In the long span of his career, Innocent has worked in more than 700 films, mostly in comedy roles, predominantly in Malayalam. He has also acted in a few Tamil and Hindi films.
Innocent's mannerisms and diction is unique in Malayalam cinema and he wildly caught the attention of the Malayalam audience. This made him one of the best in the Malayalam comedy scene, also making him a hot favorite for mimicry artistes. His popularity can be gauged from the fact that many frontline directors in Malayalam (like Priyadarshan, Satyan Anthikkad, Fazil and Kamal) rarely made films without Innocent. He has proven his acting skills in serious and character roles in several films. He has been the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for 12 years. He has held the post for the last four consecutive terms.
Innocent played has played many comedy roles in movies like Ramji Rao Speaking, Mannar Mathai Speaking, Kilukkam, Godfather, Vietnam Colony, Nadodikattu, Manichitrathazhu, Kalyanaraman, Chronic Bachelor etc. Innocent has also played several character and villain roles in movies such as Keli, Kathodu Kathoram.
Other films includes Kabooliwaala, Gajakesariyogam, Mithunam, Mazhavilkavadi, Manassinakkare, Thuruppugulan, Rasathanthram,Naran and Mahasamudram. His pairing with K. P. A. C. Lalitha was highly successful. They have acted together in many movies such as Ponn Muttayidunna Tharavu, My Dear Muthachchan, Godfather and Manichitrathazhu. Paachuvum Athbhuthavilakkum was his last film before his death in March 2023.
Books
Innocent has authored seven books: Njan Innocent, Cancer Wardile Chiri, Irinjalakudakku Chuttum (memoirs), Mazha Kannadi (collection of short stories), Chirrikku Pinnil (autobiography) and Kalante Delhi Yathra Anthikkad Vazhi are some of them. Cancer Wardile Chiri (Laughter in the Cancer Ward) is an account of his experiences while undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Irinjalakudakku Chuttum won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour in 2020.
Politics
Innocent was the Irinjalakkuda Mandalam Secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party during the 1970s. He had contested the Irinjalakkuda municipal council elections as Revolutionary Socialist Party-backed candidate in 1979 and had won that election. He was rumoured to be a Left Democratic Front (LDF)-supported independent candidate from the Irinjalakkuda assembly constituency in the 2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections but this did not happen. Innocent won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency in Thrissur district as an independent candidate supported by the LDF.
Innocent lost in the Lok Sabha elections 2019 to UDF candidate Benny Behanan.
Personal life
On 26 September 1976, Innocent married Alice; they had a son named Sonnet. Innocent Jr. and Anna are Sonnet's twin children. Childhood Innocent was played by Innocent Jr. in a documentary.
Illness and death
On 3 March 2023, Innocent was suddenly hospitalized after feeling sick. He was placed under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support after his condition turned for the worse. A cancer survivor, Innocent was in the hospital for nearly three weeks. He died at VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kochi, Kerala, on 26 March 2023, at the age of 75. He died of complications from COVID-19 as confirmed by Dr. V. P. Gangadharan who was treating him.
Awards
Kerala State Film Awards
1989 – Second Best Actor – Mazhavil Kavadi, Jaathakam
1981 – Second Best Film (Producer) – Vida Parayum Munpe
1982 – Second Best Film (Producer) – Ormakkayi
Kerala State Film Critics Award
2009 – Best Actor – Patham Nilayile Theevandi
Asianet Film Award
2001 – Supporting Actor Award – Ravanaprabhu
2004 – Supporting Actor Award – Vesham
2006 – Best Actor in a Comic Role – Rasathanthram, Yes Your Honour
2008 – Supporting Actor Award – Innathe Chintha Vishayam
2010 - Character Actor Award -Kadha Thudarunnu
2011 - Character Actor Award -Snehaveedu, Swapna Sanchari
2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award
Other awards
2004 – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Malayalam for Manassinakkare
2007 – Sathyan Award
2008 – Annual Malayalam Movie Award (Dubai) for Outstanding Performance
2013 – TTK Prestige-Vanitha Film Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
2019 – He is Distributing Awards Realtors Investors Summit
Filmography
As actor
Malayalam films
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Other language films
Story
Pavam IA Ivachan (1994)
Keerthanam (1995)
Producer
Vida Parayum Munpe (1981)
Ilakkangal (1982)
Ormakkayi (1982)
Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983)
Playback singing
Aanachandam – Gajakesariyogam (1990)
Kandallo – Sandram (1990)
Kunukupenmaniye – Mr Butler (2000)
Onnam Malakeri – Kalyanaraman (2002)
Chendakkoru kolundeda – Manassinakkare (2003)
Sundarakeralam – Doctor Innocentanu (2012)
SaMaGaReSa - Tsunami (2021)
Television
References
Further reading
External links
Movie Index
Profile of Malayalam Actor Innocent
16th LS member from Kerala
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1948 births
2023 deaths
Indian male comedians
People from Irinjalakuda
Indian male film actors
Male actors from Kerala
Kerala State Film Award winners
People from Thrissur
Filmfare Awards South winners
India MPs 2014–2019
Independent politicians in India
Indian actor-politicians
Kerala municipal councillors
Malayalam comedians
20th-century Indian male actors
Kerala politicians
Revolutionary Socialist Party (India) politicians
People from Chalakudy
Politicians from Thrissur
Male actors in Kannada cinema
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
21st-century Indian male actors
Malayalam screenwriters
Malayalam playback singers
Malayalam film producers
Film producers from Kerala
Male actors from Thrissur
Male actors in Malayalam television
Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award
Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India