NCDC pays tribute to veteran actor of Malayalam film industry, Pratap Pothen

NCDC pays tribute to veteran actor of Malayalam film industry, Pratap Pothen

National Child Development Council (NCDC) Core committee members on Monday expressed their grief over the demise of veteran actor Pratap Pothen.

Noted actor-director Pratap Pothen (69), who was known as one of the first proponents of hippie culture in the Malayalam film industry, passed away in his sleep at his flat in Chennai a few days back.

In a career spanning four decades, Pothen acted in over 100 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telegu and Hindi. He also directed a dozen films besides writing script and producing films.

Born to a leading business family in Thiruvananthapuram, Pothen studied in Lawrence School in Ooty, and started his professional career in the field of advertising as a copy writer.

In 1978, popular director Bharatan spotted him and cast in the ‘Aaravam’. In the eighties, Pothen grabbed the spotlight with his work in some hit films like ‘Chamaram’ and ‘Thakara’, among many others.

The one distinctive characteristic of Pothen was that he never fitted into the mainstream of the film industry. He always stayed aloof from the routine Malayalam film industry culture.

Condoling the death of Pratap Pothen, Admistrator Risvan M said, “He will always be remembered for his performance and now that he has passed away, his name will constantly remain in the memory of all.”

Notably, the members present in the condolence meet were: Dr Sruthi, Thomas K L, Risvan M, Arathi I S, & Sudha Menon.