'It's fine even if you don't pay tribute, but...' Asif Ali receives flak over remarks on death of Kalabhavan Navas

Actor Asif Ali is facing widespread criticism over his remarks on the death of fellow actor Kalabhavan Navas. Navas passed away on Friday night at a hotel in Chottanikkara after suffering a heart attack around 8 p.m. The film industry and fans remain in shock over his sudden demise. Amid this, a video of Asif Ali speaking about the incident at a public event has surfaced online.

In the video, Asif Ali says, “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say this at this moment, but our dear friend and colleague Kalabhavan Navas passed away last night. It was very shocking. What incidents like these teach us is that we never know what will happen next in life. We were together on a shoot just a few days ago. When we said goodbye on set, I never thought I wouldn’t see him again. Life is that uncertain. The only thing we can do is enjoy the time we have here.”

The video quickly went viral and triggered a wave of criticism on social media. Many users felt Asif’s comments were poorly timed and insensitive. “Even if you don’t pay tribute, it’s fine. But mixing motivational talk with the news of his death wasn’t right,” one user wrote. Another commented, “Someone has just passed away. It would have been better to at least ask for prayers or pay respects rather than telling people to ‘enjoy.’” Others pointed out the timing, saying, “It hasn’t even been three days since his death, imagine what his family must be going through.” Several expressed personal disappointment, with one remarking, “I used to like you, Asif, but this is very disappointing.”