Kozhikode bids adieu to Mamukkoya

The actor had passed away on Wednesday at a private hospital where he had been admitted after a cardiac arrest.

Kozhikode on Thursday bid adieu to actor Mamukkoya, as people in large numbers thronged his residence at Arakkinar and the Kannamparamba burial ground to pay their last respects.

The actor had passed away on Wednesday at a private hospital where he had been admitted after a cardiac arrest.

Some of the family members and relatives turned emotional before his body was being taken to the burial ground in the morning. Those who paid tributes to him at the residence included family members of the late actor Innocent and Edavela Babu, general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists.

The procession carrying the body reached Kannamparamba around 10.30 a.m., where the final rites were performed with official honours. Many people were seen coming to the burial ground even before and after the rituals were over. Minister for Ports and Museums Ahammad Devarkovil and K.T. Jaleel, MLA, among others, were present.

Meanwhile, at a condolence meeting held at the Town Hall in the evening, filmmaker V.M. Vinu alleged that the Malayalam film industry did not pay Mamukkoya the respect he deserved after death. “None of the directors, except Sathyan Anthikkad, who utilised his talent in their movies came to Kozhikode to pay their tributes. I think he should have died at Ernakulam so that it would have been easy for these bigwigs and technicians to come and offer their condolences. But it was truly a heart-rending scene to see common people, who enjoyed his on-screen performances, coming to catch a last glimpse of their favourite actor,” he added.

Mr. Devarkovil, Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip, Deputy Mayor C.P. Musafar Ahamed, Communist Party of India leader Pannian Raveendran, District Congress Committee president K. Praveenkumar and Congress leader M. Rajan, among others, were present.