PATHANAMTHITTA: Actor Kamal Haasan, the close friend of M G Soman, will reach Tiruvalla to attend the actor’s 25th death anniversary commemoration on Monday. Kamal has visited Soman’s house in Thirumoolapuram at least four times before.
“I still remember how he brought toys, a cradle and clothes when Soman chettan and I became grandparents. He also came when our daughter Sindhu gave birth to a girl. Like a close family member, he would spend a lot of time with us every time,” said Soman’s wife Sujatha Soman.
Like every year, programmes to mark Soman’s death anniversary are being conducted by M G Soman Foundation. A series of programmes chaired by director Blessy were held from November 17.
A mega cultural event and awards night will be held in Tiruvalla on Monday. Cultural Affairs Minister V N Vasavan will present a lifetime achievement award to Kamal at the event.
Soman died on December 12, 1997 in a private hospital in Kochi after contracting jaundice.“Though 25 years have passed since his death, I still feel his presence,” said Sujatha. “We had been on a family trip to Jammu and Kashmir. He fell sick when we reached Delhi and was hospitalised. We reached Kochi with the help of then Lok Sabha MP P J Kurien. We expected Soman chettan to recover. His sudden demise shocked us all,” Sujatha said.
“He was with the Air Force at the time of our wedding in 1968. He quit two years later and became an actor. His performance in plays paved the way for his entry into Mollywood,” she recalled.
Soman made his debut with P N Menon’s Gayathri. His last film was as the famous Anakkattil Eeppachan in Lelam in 1997. At present, Sujatha, son Saji Soman and his wife Bindhu live in Thirumoolapuram. Sindhu Soman is their daughter. Sujatha owns Bhadra’s Spices in Tiruvalla.