Veteran Malayalam actor Kainakary Thankaraj passed away at his residence in Keralapuram on Sunday, April 3. He was aged 77. He is popular for his performances in films like Ee Ma Yau, Lucifer, Amen and Home. He made his debut with Prem Nazir starrer Aanappaachan which released in 1978, while his last film was Lijo Jose Pellissery’s upcoming movie Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, which stars actor Mammootty in the lead.

Kainakary Thankaraj is the son of popular theatre artiste Krishnankutty Bhagavathar. He has reportedly acted in over 10,000 plays and has also bagged the award for best theatre actor. Several people from the Malayalam film industry took to social media to condole Kainakary Thankaraj’s death and extend their support. “Tributes to Sri Kainakari Thankaraj who gifted us remarkable roles from the drama world,” actor Mammootty said in a Facebook post. 

Rojin Thomas, who directed the family-drama Home which premiered on over-the-top (OTT) platform Amazon Prime Video last year, wrote on Instagram: “Soul of Our #HOME #KAINAKARITHANKARAJ (appachan).You are always loved and never forgotten (sic).” The actor rose to fame with his performance as Vavachan in the Malayalam film Ee Ma Yau, which co-starred actors Vinayakan, Chemban Vinod Jose, Pauly Valsan, Bitto Davis and Arya Salim. The Lijo Jose Pellissery directorial released on November 30.

Slice-of-life family drama Home co-starred actors Indrans, Sreenath Bhasi, Manju Pillai, Naslen K Gafoor, and Johny Antony, among others. The film released on August 19 last year. It opened to positive responses from both audience and critics.