'I wanted him with me that day but...'; Kalabhavan Mani's wife opens up

We have seen superstars, directors and even commoners endlessly speaking about actor Kalabhavan Mani. But rarely have we seen the actor's close family members revealing anecdotes about him. In a very rare interview, Nimmy, wife of late Kalabhavan Mani, shared her memories of the actor with folk singer and writer Priya.

NIMMY:

“It was at the time of childbirth and I was in labor. I felt the pain and relatives rushed me to the hospital. Those are times when we crave the company of our partners. I wanted him near, but Mani Chettan was attending an award night on the day.

Mani chettan asked me permission to leave for the event and willingly admitted that he would stay if I had any pain. At that time, I was normal and asked him to happily go and attend the function. He was the anchor of the mega award night and I didn’t want the whole show to end awry.

However, by the evening of that day, I started feeling the pain. I dialed Mani Chettan but he was unreachable. It was late at night that director Lohitadas sir revealed the news of the baby to Mani chettan.

At both times, when I lost consciousness and regained it, I first enquired about Manichettan but not the baby. By 2 am, midnight, he came to the hospital and I could see tears welling up in his eyes. Despite cancelling all events and staying with me for more than 10 days, Mani Chettan couldn’t be with me during the most crucial hours, that pain was palpable in him"