Veteran actor T P Madhavan passed away on Wednesday. Though he reaped success in his heydays, he was pushed into oblivion during the latter years of career. The actor spent the last eight years of his life at Gandhi Bhavan in Pathanapuram, forgotten by many. His family too, including Bollywood director Raja Krishna Menon who directed superhit Akshay Kumar starrer ‘Airlift’, reportedly did not visit him during the actor's final days. The actor was estranged from his wife and children for over three decades. Though he had expressed his desire to meet his son Raja, it never materialised.
Madhavan who had been in the Malayalam movie industry for more than four decades was a resident at the Gandhi Bhavan, a facility for the destitute in Pathanapuram. Madhavan was shifted to the Gandhi Bhavan after television serial director Prasad Nooranad noticed the actor's deteriorating health after his return from Haridwar. Prasad contacted Somarajan who ran the Gandhi Bhavan and requested him to accommodate the actor at the facility.
“He told me he wanted to give up everything and spend the rest of his life at the ashram in Haridwar. He asked me to book a train ticket for him to Haridwar. But, his health had deteriorated,” said Prasad. Some of the expenses at the institute were met by AMMA and his sister in the US, who would send a meagre amount to Gandhi Bhavan. Somarajan arranged a separate room for Madhavan at Gandhi Bhavan, which housed 1,500 residents, and even arranged medical facilities for him. Madhavan enjoyed his life at Gandhi Bhavan as he got to read lots of books and chat with friends. There, he regained his health and was actively involved in the activities at Gandhi Bhavan, though his health deteriorated recently.
