Chola-fame Akhil Vishwanath commits suicide; friends, family grieve loss of young actor

KODALY: Akhil Vishwanath, a young actor who appeared in the film Chola, committed suicide, leaving his hometown in deep sorrow. Akhil, who was considered a rising talent by his family and locality, died by suicide on Thursday morning in his bedroom at home.

Akhil had played a notable role in Chola, directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, which won the 2019 Kerala State Film Award. After the film was selected for the Venice Film Festival, he attended the event along with the director and actors Joju George and Nimisha Sajayan. While studying at Moonnumuri Sreekrishna High School, he and his brother had won the State Award for Best Child Actor for a telefilm.

Three months ago, Akhil’s father, an autorickshaw driver, was badly injured in an accident when a car hit his scooter, leaving him bedridden. Akhil, who had been working as a technician at a mobile shop in Kodaly, had to stop working to take care of his father full-time. His mother, Geetha, works as a collection agent at the Kodaly Merchants Association, and his brother does daily-wage jobs. The funeral was attended by hundreds of friends and locals.