An actor who regaled Malayalees for over three decades, Mala Aravindan stood out on account of his unique style, body language and dialogue delivery.
Hilarious and boisterous, Mala, as he is popularly known after the small town in Thrissur district where he spent his childhood, entered the silver screen after establishing himself as a stage actor and by dint of hard work became an essential ingredient of Malayalam cinema's comedy alongwith Kuthiravattam Pappu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Innocent and Jagadish.
He also displayed an uncanny ability to blend humour with pathos in many of his memorable roles.
A school dropout whose childhood was marked by hardships, Mala began his career off the stage as a tabla player with minor theatre groups.
His early mentors soon recognized his talent as an actor and mimic and started giving him small roles on the stage and later provided him with important supporting characters.
Later, as an artist with some major drama troupes, he toured the state, which helped him perfect his skills and to be sensitive to the audience mood.
Mala began his film career through minor roles in the early 1970s, when the comedy element in Malayalam cinema largely centred round thespians Adoor Bhasi and Bahadur.
He has since then acted in over 400 movies, leaving a deep impression in the minds of film buffs in all the roles that came by his way.
The 72-year-old actor died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Coimbatore today.
According to film historian N Balagopal, it was out of inborn talent and dedication that Mala established himself as a comedian since the 1980s.
"Mala was an exceptionally brilliant actor endowed with an innate sense of humour. His body language, speed, histrionics and dialogue delivery made him unique," Balagopal said.
