Versatile Captain Raju bids adieu after commanding roles

The body will be kept at his residence on Thursday for the public to pay homage and later taken to his ancestral home at Omallur, Pathanamthitta.

KOCHI: Captain Raju, who excelled in Malayalam cinema as a villain, comedian and in character roles, passed away here on Monday. Raju, 68, who has been under treatment after suffering a major cardiac arrest in June, breathed his last at his residence at Alinchuvadu. He is survived by wife Prameela and son Raviraj. The funeral will be held after his son and other relatives arrive from the US.

Captain Raju 1950 - 2018
Captain Raju 1950 - 2018

The body will be kept at his residence on Thursday for the public to pay homage and later taken to his ancestral home at Omallur, Pathanamthitta. Born to Daniel and Annamma in 1950, Raju joined Defence service after completing his Bachelor’s degree. After his stint there, he made his Mollywood debut in 1981 with Joshiy-directed Raktham. He soon became one of the most sought-after villains in Malayalam cinema and acted in nearly 50 movies in six years from 1981.

In 1986, Raju portrayed Sathyaraj’s role in Avanazhi, with Mammootty in lead role. The I V Sasi-directed flick took Raju’s career to new heights. When it looked there was nothing more left for him to prove in a villain’s role, director Sathyan Anthikkad helped him rediscover himself by presenting him with Pavanayi, the ‘stylish’ professional killer in Nadodikkattu a year later. Even after three decades, Pavanayi is loved by all. It is one character that constantly pops us in the troll world.

In 1988, Raju surprised the spectators yet again with August 1, in which he played an antagonist, the man with no name. A year later, Raju got the best role of his career, Aringodar, in Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha, the M T Vasudevan Nair-penned, Hariharan-directed film, rated as a classic in Malayalam cinema. It won him critical acclaim.

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