Ratheesh was not a person who should have died so soon, says actor-fried Kundara Johny; he recollects what happened on Biju's Menon's wedding day

Ratheesh was an actor who once dominated Malayalam cinema world. He passed away in December 2002.
“But he was not a man who should have died so soon,” says actor-friend Kundara Johny in an interview given to an online media.

“Who gave life to Ratheesh in cinema was IV Sasi. In the film Thusharam, he had planned to cast Jayan in the lead but the choice fell on Ratheesh after Jayan’s demise. Soon he became a busy actor.

He died unexpectedly because of his carelessness… He had chronic diabetes. But, he never cared for his heath. He would eat anything he liked.

Ratheesh and me had gone to Biju Menon’s wedding in Thrissur. On our way back, he stopped at Chalakkudy, bought 2 kg grapes and other eatables from a wayside vendor and started eating them.

“Hey buddy, don’t you have sugar (sic)?,” I asked him and he replied: We’ll die anyway and till then we should eat what we like…

On another occasion, while going to a shooting location, he bought 3-kg pork and consumed it.

He never cared for his body and that is why he died so early,” says Johny.