THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Covid pandemic and the ensuing lockdown witnessed countless instances of selfless deeds by people from all walks of life. Mimicry artist and film actor Kottayam Nazeer, who is a household name, displayed a hitherto little-known side of his creativity to contribute to the cause. Everyone knows him as a comedian whose appearance has audiences in splits, but Nazeer is a gifted painter too.
After the lockdown phase I kicked in, he had undertaken a challenge to come out with 21 paintings. And his work depicting Christ’s crown of thorns, which was snapped up by Alappuzha Beach Club for Rs 1 lakh, was done during the 21-day challenge.
The other 20 of his works are also up for sale. In his earlier avatar, before he debuted as presenter of comedy programmes on TV and an actor in the 1995 release ‘Mimics Action 500’, Nazeer used to be a professional painter. Only after he staged an exhibition -- ‘Dreams of Colours’ in Kochi in 2018 -- did the world realise his hidden talent. He had been dabbling in water colour, acrylic as well as oil paintings.
Till the time the Alappuzha Beach Club snapped up his painting, the painter in Nazeer was feeling a bit dejected as Malayalis were hesitant to buy his paintings. When the cheque was handed over to CMDRF by the club representatives, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Works Minister G Sudhakaran got to see first-hand Nazeer’s painting talent.
“The painting bought by Alappuzha Beach Club is an acrylic painting of Christ’s crucifixion on canvas. I was keen on the painting fetching a good price and this is the first sale of my lockdown paintings. I had decided that the price paid for the painting should be given to Covid victims and hence asked the buyers to hand over the cheque to CMDRF,” said Nazeer.The painting will be presented to Alappuzha Bishop Stephen Athipozhiyil at a function to be held at the Bishop’s House on Friday, with Works Minister G Sudhakaran also scheduled to attend, Nazeer said.