Film-theatre actor Kalinga Sasi died here on Tuesday after battling liver-related ailments for some time. He was 59.
Though his real name was V. Chandrakumar, the actor has been known as Kalinga Sasi throughout his decades-long acting career. Though the actor made his debut in Malayalam cinema in 1998 in the movie Thakarachenda, he could not find a deserving space in the glamour world.
It was with his performance in the role of a police officer in the 2009 film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha that he first caught the eye. And, Sasi made a mark as a character actor since then.
He was part of a group of actors director Ranjith selected from the stage for various roles in the critically acclaimed period film that is still remembered for an outstanding performance by Mammootty and a splendid screenplay (adapted from the eponymous novel by T.P. Rajeevan). From among the relatively new bunch of actors, Sasi went on to do more films than the others.
Impressive films
He impressed in films such as Amen, Pranchiyettan & the Saint, Vellimoonga, Indian Rupee and Adaminte Makan Abu. He acted in more than 200 films.
He was not the most versatile of character actors, but within his limitations, he did a good job, invariably. He excelled in comic roles. He was among the more familiar faces of Malayalam cinema for the last one decade.
Before turning a busy film actor, Sasi had a flourishing career in theatre. He had acted in umpteen number of dramas of various theatre groups in the past 25 years. He had made his stage debut in a play produced by his uncle Vikraman Nair for the Kozhikode-based theatre company Stage India.
About five years ago, he acted in a big-budgeted Hollywood movie based on The Bible, in the role of Judas. The film has not been released yet and he once said that his contract did not allow him to speak about it.
