Actor K.L. Antony, most known for his role as ‘chachan’ in the film Maheshinte Prathikaram, died of cardiac arrest here on Friday.
He was 77 and is survived by wife Leena, an actor; son, writer Lasar Shine; and daughters Ambili and Nancy.
A native of Fort Kochi, Antony had forayed into amateur theatre scripting Communist plays and launched his own theatre group, Cochin Kalakendram. His play Iruttara, conceived against the backdrop of the custodial death of engineering student Rajan during the Emergency, had raised the authorities’ heckles.
Antony’s books were self-published and he sold them by making door-to-door visits. He chose to visit households to sell two of his son’s story and poetry collections as well.
A career in theatre
Theatre was an integral part of Antony’s life since the late 1950s.
It was theatre that brought him his life’s partner. Leena, hailing from Poochakkal, also acted in plays such as Kalapam, Kuruthy, Iruttara, and Manushyaputhran penned and directed by Antony. Their last appearance together on stage was in Ammayum Thommanum (2013), a two-character play in which the couple performed as mother and son.
The couple’s film debut was with Maheshinte Prathikaram in which Antony played father to the male protagonist, while his wife essayed the character of the female protagonist’s mother.
The burial will take place at the St. Martin de Porres church at Ulavipe, near Cherthala, on Sunday.