Mamukkoya, who has acted in more than 450 Malayalam films and is the first winner of the State award for best Comedian in Malayalam cinema, breathed his last today.
He was 76.
The actor was attending a football tournament at Kalikavu in Malappuram District on Monday as its chief guest when he felt some distress and collapsed before the inauguration of the event. He had suffered brain hemorrhage besides cardiac arrest which has worsened his condition.
Koya has mostly appeared in comedic roles. His unique usage of the Mappila dialect and style marks his presence in the industry.
Mamukkoya started his career as a theatre actor. He got his chance in the film industry through Anyarude Bhoomi (1979). His second entry to Malayalam cinema was through S. Konnanatt’s Surumaitta Kannukal. After this film, he was introduced to Sathyan Anthikkad by scriptwriter and actor Sreenivasan. He landed a role in Gandhinagar Second Street. His portrayal of Gafoor in Sathyan Anthikkad’s Mohanlal – Sreenivasan starring Nadodikkattu (1987) carved a niche for him in Malayalam cinema. The character Gafoor now enjoys a cult following in Kerala. An animation series was later released based on this character. His award-winning performance in Perumazhakkalam (2004) proved that he can handle non-comedy roles as well with ease. He again did a similar role in Byari, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. He did the title role in the film Korappan, the great (2001), which depicted him as a forest brigand like Veerappan. In 2004, he received a Special Mention in the Kerala State Film Award for the movie Perumazhakkalam.
