KOZHIKODE: Veteran actor Mamukoya, who entertained the Malayali filmgoer for four decades by essaying both comedy and character roles with elan in over 450 films, passed away at a private hospital here on Wednesday afternoon. He was 76.
He had suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday night when he went to inaugurate a Sevens football tournament at Kalikavu in Malappuram. He was first taken to a hospital at Wandoor and later shifted to a private hospital in Kozhikode. He had been on ventilator support since then. Hospital sources said the end came around 1.05pm.
Mamukoya had endeared himself to Malayalis with his inimitable Kozhikode slang, instant witty retorts and natural expressions. His toothy grin and Kozhikodan accent were a regular feature in most of the popular films in the 1990s, when he acted in over 20 films a year.
Gafoor earned a cult status, fuelled memesSome of his characters like conman Gafoor in Sathyan Anthikad’s 1987 hit film Nadodikattu have earned a cult status and are still popular among the youth, spurring several memes, trolls and thug life videos, earning him the title of ₹Sulthan of Thugs’ among the Gen Z. Politician K G Pothuval in ‘Sandesam’, Hamsakoya in ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, Jamal in ‘His Highness Abdulla’ and Keeleri Achu in ‘Kankettu’ are among his other evergreen comedy roles.
Thousands of people from various walks of life paid tributes to the actor at Town Hall, when the body was kept for public homage. The funeral will be held at Kannamparambu burial grounds at 10am on Thursday.
Born on July 5, 1946 to Chalikandiyil Mohammed and Imbichayisha at Pallikandi, Mamukoya had to take upemployment in a timber yard at Kallayi early in life owing to financial hardships. He, however, nurtured hislove of theatre and tried his hand in amateur plays in and around Kozhikode in the evenings.
He himself had attributed his career in theatre and films to the vibrant cultural collective in Kozhikode in those times, when everyone in the art and culture circuit shared a deep camaraderie.
Mamukoya started his film career with a small role in ‘Anyarude Bhoomi’ in 1979. It took him four years to get his second film ₹Surumayitta Kannukal’, which he owed to a recommendation from writer Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer, with whom he shared a close bond. His first noticeable role came in ₹Doore Doore Oru Koodu Kootam’, in which he essayed the role of an Arab munshi. Then came ‘Nadodikkattu’, which made him a permanent fixture in most of Sathyan Anthikkad’s later movies.
His portrayal of Abdu in Perumazhakalam, for which he received a special mention in the Kerala State Film Awards in 2004; Mohammed, a meat shop owner, in Byari in 2011 and Moosa in Kuruthi in 2021 are testament to his prowess in essaying non-comedy roles. He had also won the state award for the best comedy artist for ‘Innathe Chintha Vishayam’ in 2008. He has also acted in a French movie, ‘Flammen im Paradies’.
He is survived by wife Suhara and children Nizar, Shahida, Nadiya and Abdul Rasheed.
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