Jagathy Sreekumar turns 70

Actor Jagathy Sreekumar, who reigned as the king of comedy in Malayalam cinema for decades until he was laid low by a road accident, celebrated his seventieth birthday on Tuesday.

A cake-cutting ceremony at his house in Peyad, with his close family in attendance, was shared live on the actor’s Facebook page. Actors Mammootty, Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nivin Pauly, and others shared birthday wishes to the actor on their official Facebook pages.

Jagathy, who made his debut in 1975, had remained an unavoidable presence in Malayalam cinema, acting in around 1,500 films, until his car met with an accident near the University of Calicut on March 10, 2012. He was under treatment for a long time, and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Though there have been rumours of his return to screen for the past couple of years, nothing has materialised as yet.

Initially known for his comic roles, he had proved his all-round brilliance with a slew of character roles, showcasing various shades. More than a comic sidekick, he often played roles which were equal in importance to that of the protagonist, as evident in films like 'Yodha' and 'Kilukkam'. Though the actor has not acted in a single film in these nine years, clippings from his old performances are still a regular staple for the Malayali audience, be it through political satire programmes in television channels or through new age memes in social media.