Thousands pay tribute to Malayalam cinema’s comedy king Innocent

Veteran Malayalam actor and former MP Innocent breathed his last on Sunday after prolonged illness. Thousands paid respects to the late actor during public display. The funeral will be held at 10 am today at St Thomas Cathedral, Iringalakuda with official honours.

Celebrities, actors and politicians including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, opposition leader VD Satheeshan, Mohanlal and Mammootty flocked to the stadium to pay their last respects to the actor. Priyadarshan and Sathyan Anthikad paid their last respects with teary eyes.

The body was kept for public display at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Ernakulam from 8 am to 11.30 am on Monday. The office-bearers of 'AMMA' Edavela Babu, Ranji Panicker and Siddhique supervised the public display. At 11.30 am, the body was taken to his hometown Iringalakuda in a decorated AC low-floor bus of KSRTC.

From 2:30 pm, prominent people from the political and film fields flocked to the Iringalakuda town hall and his house. Director Priyadarshan and Dileep accompanied the body from Kochi. Speaker AN Shamseer, Ministers MB Rajesh, P Rajeev, R Bindu, Saji Cheriyan, K Krishnankutty, Veena George, actors Janardhanan Manoj K Jayan, Mukesh, Lal, Sai Kumar, Jayasurya, Vineeth, Kunchacko Boban, CPM state secretary MV Govindan, Prof. MK Sanu and NCP state president PC Chacko, former KPCC president VM Sudheeran, Mayor Adv. M. Anil Kumar, MLAs K Babu, TJ Vinod, PV Sreenijin, Uma Thomas, Anwar Sadath, KJ Maxi, District Collector NSK Umesh and others paid their last respects. Directors Sibi Malail, Vinayan, Blessy, Kamal, Lal Jose and Josh and singers MG Sreekumar, Biju Narayanan, Sudeep Kumar and Najeem Arshad also paid their last respects.