Remembering Kalabhavan Mani, the most loved Mollywood actor on his fourth death anniversary

An actor, singer, songwriter, philanthropist, a beautiful human, words are never enough when it comes to describing the talented Mollywood star Kalabhavan Mani. His life inspires an infinite number of laymen to reap success and his unfortunate death still wells up the eyes of his admirers. The talented artist who could effortlessly play heroic roles was also graceful while he was roped in for villainous characters. One of the pioneers in making folk songs popular, Kalabhavan Mani was also a note-perfect singer. His songs came deep from his soul and hence it was impossible for them to go unnoticed. As today marks the fourth death anniversary of Kalabhavan Mani, here’s taking a look at his fascinating life.

Kalabhavan Mani dreamt of being an actor just like every other person during the 90s. So, when the Chalakkuddy native dreamt of the same, it was impossible for anyone to stop him. The actor's first shot in front of the camera was as an autorickshaw driver, his real-life character! The film, the sets and the acceptance that stars got, obviously motivated Mani too and he got his first break in 'Sallapam', a film scripted by AK Lohithadas. As Mani was a master in singing folk songs and a great mimic, his first major role fetched him a few more opportunities. A few years into cinema, Mani rose as a popular actor who could manage hilarious characters with ease. It was the Vinayan directorial 'Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum', which gave Mani a leap in his career. Mani appeared as a blind singer in the movie and his character Ramu still breaks hearts of movie lovers. Mani also bagged a special mention at the National Film Awards for his performance in the movie. ‘Karimadikkuttan’ is another film that was blessed with his exceptional performance.

It was Kalabhavan Mani who made folk songs so popular in Kerala. From songs from 'Kannimangam Prayathil' to those from 'Varann Paranjitt', the actor has tried hard to carry the folklore tradition forward and its songs to the future generation. His high spirited energetic performances would easily make anyone fall for the songs. He sang whole heartedly and hence people loved to sing his songs as well. While the majority of his songs had hilarious lyrics, a few like 'Umbayi Kuchante' and 'Minna Minunge Minnum Minunge' were songs that could easily bring tears to the eyes of the listener.

His acting, his songs everything were fab, but people mostly loved him for his simplicity. Kalabhavan Mani was one of the few celebs who was void of stardom. If a fan asked for an autograph he would easily give it and also add a hug! The actor who could buy all the luxuries, found peace at his home in Chalakkudy. His wife, daughter and friends were the ultimate luxury for him. A bath in the nearby river and some local toddy could easily fill his soul.

Born as the sixth child to his parents, Kalabhavan Mani was raised in a lower-class family. From staying hungry for days because they had no money to afford the meal to doing daily wage labours including driving and other odd jobs, Mani has seen it all. Since he knew what hunger meant, the actor often contributed a huge sum for the poor and suffering people. From sponsoring unprivileged children to lending a hand to those who needed help in medical expenses, the actor always believed in paying it forward. “Life is not about earning a lot of money,” the actor always said.

Kalabhavan Mani was an auto-rickshaw driver before entering showbiz and even after becoming a star, he used to drive his favourite vehicle in his home town. The actor always believed in helping others and his love for his hometown and his people was never-ending. The actor loved farming and used to do manual labour very often even after he turned into a huge actor in the South. He wasn’t shy to speak about his past life including his days when he had to go hungry. In fact, his past was his greatest strength.

Kalabhavan Mani passed away on March 6, 2016.