KOCHI: Malayalam film industry came together on Saturday to pay rich tributes to actor, screenwriter, and director Sreenivasan, whose satirical films reshaped popular cinema. Fans, film lovers, artists and filmmakers gathered in their hundreds at the Town Hall in Kochi -- where his body was kept for public homage from 1 pm -- to pay their last respects to the actor-screenwriter whose films made generations laugh. The ceremony, which was scheduled to conclude by 3 pm, was extended to 3.30 pm.
After visiting the grieving family at their residence in Udayamperoor, near Tripunithura, actor Mammootty came to see his friend for one final time. For Mohanlal, the loss was huge, for ‘Dasan’s Vijayan’ had left.
Though it was a painful moment, Mohanlal consoled Mammootty on his arrival. For more than an hour, the big Ms of the Malayalam film industry sat beside the departed artist, their Sreeni.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian and Minister for Industries P Rajeeve offered respects on behalf of the state government.
At one corner, two childhood friends, Azeez and Rafeeq, were discussing Sreenivasan’s films.
“I watch ‘Sandesam’, ‘Thalayana Manthram’, ‘Kilichundan Maambazham’, ‘Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu’ and other Sreenivasan films even now. These films are now available on YouTube. So I watch,” Rafeeq told Azeez.
The Kochi residents were regular moviegoers back in the 1980s and 1990s.
“We have watched most of his films in cinemas. His stories and characters are still there in our minds. But we rewatch them whenever possible. His characters were very relatable for us,” Azeez added. In fact, almost everyone there had something special to share about his stories and films. For the industry, the passing of an artist who has contributed to the growth of Malayalam films is an irreparable loss.