KOLLAM: Thousands of people paid homage to their beloved ‘Muraliyettan’ when the body of cine actor Bharat Murali was brought to Kudavattur, his native village in the district.
The body was brought to his ancestral home Poikavila (Hari Sadanam) around 7.30 a.m. on Friday.
Only his brother Haridas accompanied the body from Thiruvananthapuram as all other members of his family, including father Krishna Pillai and mother Devakiyamma, remained in Thiruvananthapuram where they had reached after hearing the news of his demise.
After laying the body in the house for a few minutes, it was taken to the Kudavattur UPS where Murali had studied up to 7th standard. A large number of people from the village and the surrounding areas were waiting there for the arrival of the body since last night.
Cine actors Suresh Gopi and Navya Nair and directors Shaji Kailas and Priyanandanan were among those people who paid homage to Murali at his native place. Though it was planned to take the body back to Thiruvananthapuram at 9.30 p.m., it was delayed for more than half-an-hour owing to the unending queue of the people. At 10.15 p.m., the body was taken to Thiruvananthapuram through the NH 47 via Chathannoor.
Murali used to visit his native village frequently and especially on festive occasions like Vishu and Onam. He visited Kudavattur last time in June this year and told his friends there that he would be visiting again during the coming Onam.