Tearful adieu to Salim Kumar, laid to rest with full state honours

KOCHI: Salim Kumar, who died last night, has been laid to rest in the compound of his house. The actor’s two sons Chandu and Aromal lit the funeral pyre. He was laid to rest with full state honours. The funeral was held without following any religious rituals as per his wish. He had directed not to immerse his ashes in the river. The body of Salim Kumar was taken to the pyre after draping with the Congress flag. Chief Minister V D Satheesan, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal MP and many others attended the funeral.

The body was brought to Laughing Villa, his home in Kochi after the public homage at the Paravur Town Hall. Thousands flocked to pay homage to the actor.

Salim Kumar passed away at a private hospital in Kochi while undergoing treatment for liver-related ailments. He was admitted for dialysis, during which his blood pressure reportedly dropped, leading to a heart attack. He was later placed on ventilator support. His treatment was further complicated after cancer was detected in his lungs.

Born on October 10, 1969, in Chittattukara near Paravur in Ernakulam, Salim Kumar was the youngest son of Gangadharan and Kausalya. He is survived by his wife Sunitha and sons Chandu and Aromal.

Salim Kumar made his acting debut in 1996 with the film Ishtamanu Nooru Vattam. The 2000 blockbuster Thenkasipattanam proved to be a turning point in his career. Although he began his acting career as a comedian, he later earned widespread acclaim for portraying nuanced and emotionally powerful characters. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Salim Kumar appeared in close to 300 films. Some of his most memorable performances came in popular Malayalam films such as Kalyanaraman, CID Moosa, Mayavi, Meesha Madhavan, Thilakkam, Pulival Kalyanam, Chathikkatha Chanthu, and Chess. He also acted in three Tamil films and one Odia film.

His versatility as an actor earned him several prestigious honours. Salim Kumar won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his performance in director Lal Jose's Achanurangatha Veedu. He later received the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2010 for his acclaimed performance in Adaminte Makan Abu. He continued to add to his list of achievements, winning the Kerala State Film Award for Best Comedian in 2013 for Ayalum Njanum Thammil. In 2016, he received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story Writer for Karutha Joothan. He was also honoured with the Kerala State Television Award for Best Actor in 2013.

In addition to acting, Salim Kumar ventured into filmmaking and directed movies including Compartment, Karutha Joothan, and Daivame Kaithozham K. Kumarakanam.