Mammooty, Mohanlal, industry peers mourn John Paul's demise

Several celebrities, including Mohanlal, Mammootty and Manoj K Jayan expressed condolences on the death of veteran screenwriter John Paul Puthussery who passed away on Saturday. The legendary writer had breathed life to several characters in movies through his scripts and dialogues. Mammootty who visited the hospital in Kochi after the veteran screenwriter's passing, said he had expected John Paul would make a full recovery.

Manoj K Jayan, took to Facebook, to pen down an emotional note, thanking the screenwriter for handing him one of the most memorable characters in his career. “John Paul was one among the handful screenwriters in Malayalam. Those who were closely associated with him would fondly address him as uncle. He had a big and open heart. I will always consider it a blessing to have played Anto in Bharathettan's 'Chamayam', which was written by John Paul. It was a movie which changed my life...Adieu, uncle, he wrote.

Mohanlal also expressed shock on the passing of the veteran . “I have been lucky to have played some main characters written by him. Most of his works dwelled deeply into human relationships.

He was a man who touched us all with his beautiful smile and more through his stories,” he wrote on Facebook.

Actress Navya Nair said she always looked forward to hearing or reading his interviews. “I am not very active on social media, but I always listened to his interviews. His thoughts and opinions were crystal clear. I am a fan of Bharathan-John Paul combo movies,” she wrote.

Young directors, including Tharun Moorthy who directed 'Operation Java', also expressed their grief. 'John Paul sir..you left me promising you had a script that you wanted me to do. That will also be a due,” he wrote.