KOCHI: Actor Rizabawa (55), who was being treated for renal ailment and lifestyle diseases at a private hospital, passed away on Monday. A test conducted after his death confirmed that he was Covid positive. Hospital staff said when he was admitted on Sept 8, he did not have Covid. Later, he had a stroke and his condition worsened, they added. His funeral will be held in Kochi on Tuesday obeying Covid protocols.
He started his career in theatre and worked with groups like Sanghachethana. Though he debuted with ‘Vishupakshi’ in 1984, the film was not released. His first movie that hit the screens was Dr Pasupathy directed by Shaji Kailas. Rizabawa played the hero.
But his portrayal of the soft spoken villain John Honai in Siddique-Lal’s In Harihar Nagar endeared him to Malayalis. Even two decades after the film’s release, John Honai remains a cherished character among fans.
“His physique, sound modulation, soft and pleasant dialogue delivery made John Honai an exceptional villain in Malayalam movies. A handsome, soft-spoken villain was unheard of in Malayalam films until then,” said director Siddique said.
“Every time I met him there was a smile on his face. He was a virtuous and pleasant person and yet, he could play notorious villain roles. It attests his potential as an actor. Unfortunately, he didn’t get many promising roles later,” he added.
“Incidentally, it is while playing the role of Swathi Thirunal in Sanghachethana’s play that we handpicked Saikumar for Ramji Rao Speaking and as a replacement for Saikumar, Sanghachethana roped him (Rizabawa) in. It was while acting in the same play that we noted his performance and cast him as John Honai,” Siddique said.
Despite starting with the role of a hero, he donned many villain roles. He has acted in 100 films as well as a few Malayalam television serials. His last appearance on the big screen was in ‘Velakkariyayirunnalum Neeyen Mohavalli’ that released in 2018.
He was not active in movies for quite some time. Those close to him are of the view that he would have staged a comeback with character roles given his skill to play them to perfection. “Kabuliwala, Nerariyan CBI, Aniyan Bava Chettan Bava are among his noted films.
