Kalinga Sasi, the tall Malayalam actor known for unique facial expressions, passed away in Kozhikode on Tuesday morning. He was 59 years old. Manorama reports that Sasi was undergoing treatment for a liver-related ailment.
Sasi, whose official name is V Chandrakumar, was born in Kozhikode to Chandrasekharan Nair and Sukumari. He was a theatre actor who later began working in cinema. Director Ranjith chose him for the role of Deputy Superintendent of Police Mohandas Manalath in the murder mystery Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha. It is also Ranjith that prefixed Kalinga, the name of the theatre group the actor was a part of, to Sasi, as Chandrakumar was known as among his friends.
However, Mathrubhumi reports that Sasi's first role in a film came in 1998 when he acted in the movie Thakarachanda as Palanichami. He had also played the male lead in a movie called Hello Innu Onnaam Theeyathiyani, directed by Sahadevan Iyyakkad.
In movies, Kalinga Sasi mostly did comedy. He was known for his facial expressions where his mouth would form an upside-down crescent, and other comical expressions he could make with his jaw.
Kalinga Sasi has acted in over a hundred films including Pranchiyettan and the Saint, Adaminte Makan Abu, Amen, Idukki Gold, Vellimoonga, Jilebi and so on. He was last seen in the 2019 movie Kuttimama. Last year, he also acted in movies like Marconi Mathai, Oru Kadath Naadan Katha and Jimmmy Ee Veedinte Aiswaryam.
He had also acted in television serials and rose to fame through a character he regularly played in the short satirical show Munshi aired on Asianet News.
But it was in theatre that he had been most active, reportedly having worked in over 500 plays.
Sasi was also working in upcoming films like Ekajalakam, The Voter and Son of Alibaba Nalpathonaman.
He is survived by his wife Prabhavati.