Kongad (Palakkad): A programme will be organized under the aegis of the Oduvil Foundation to commemorate the 10th death anniversary of gifted actor Oduvil Unnikrishnan, here on May 31.
Oduvil, who died at the age of 62 on May 27, 2006, portrayed several versatile roles of realistic and down-to-earth characters in Malayalam cinema and was known for his natural acting.
The most memorable performances of Oduvil include Peringodan in I.V. Sasi’s Devasuram, Namboothiri in Lal Jose’s Meesa Madhavan, and Ganapathy Chettiyar in Sathyan Anthikad’s Rasathanthram among others. His brilliant portrayal of Kaliyappan, a hangman, in Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Nizhalkuthu, earned him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor in 2002.
The veteran actor, who led a humble life of a villager in real life, could bring alive the warmth and simplicity of village life through his characters with élan.
The Oduvil Foundation, formed by his friends and relatives at his birthplace, Keralassery near Vadakkancherry, has initiated many activities to keep his memories alive. The foundation has bought a piece of land adjacent to his home ‘Neelanjanam’ in order to construct a memorial for the actor. Many actors from the Malayalam industry including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Dileep, and Kunchacko Boban have donated funds for the purpose, said the office-bearers of the Foundation. Local artists and art lovers have also joined hands with them to make the memorial a reality.
The commemorative programme will begin at 5 p.m., the organisers informed.
