'No one from film industry showed up even on Manichettan's death anniversary, none of them stood by me when I attempted suicide; only that actress called me in person'

In a heartfelt interview with a YouTube channel, dancer RLV Ramakrishnan, the younger brother of the late actor Kalabhavan Mani, opened up about Mani’s generosity, revealing that he had acted in many films without charging any fee. He also voiced his disappointment over the lack of support from the film industry during a challenging period in his life. Ramakrishnan emphasised that such a situation would never have happened if Kalabhavan Mani were still alive.

“When I was going through a difficult phase, not even a single person from the film industry reached out to offer help. Only a few from outside the industry expressed support through social media. Asha Sharath was the only one who called me in person. Such a situation wouldn’t have occurred if Manichettan were still alive. Everyone would have been there. But now, there’s no one. Maybe they’re all busy. I’m not expecting anyone to take care of my problems. It’s been eight years since my brother passed away, and still, no one has come forward to support us. I had attempted suicide over an issue related to the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi. Even then, not a single person who had worked closely with Manichettan stood by me,” he added.

Ramakrishnan also pointed out how Mani helped many producers by acting in their films for free. "Manichettan had helped several producers. He acted in several films without charging a single penny. Yet, not even a single event has been organised in his memory. Some say they’ll consider organising shows only if I perform with a well-known actress. Even film offers have been scarce. People ask me, ‘Aren’t you Manichettan’s brother? Why aren’t you active in cinema again?’ But whom should I tell all this to?”

“We always treated those in the film industry like family. When chettan was alive, they would visit our home, eat with us, and even stay overnight. After his death, all that changed. Now, even during hard times, no one is there. On Manichettan’s death anniversary, even if we call someone, they’ll say they’re busy. No one comes. It’s painful because we shared genuine love. After his death, most of the news focused on misrepresenting our family relationships. That still saddens us. Many film personalities did attend his funeral. However, the only people who consistently remember him even today are the ordinary fans who loved him,” Ramakrishnan said.