Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (born 28 February 1948) is an Indian actor and politician. He predominantly works in

Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, '' Elippat ...

in addition to

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...

, English, Tamil, and

Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...

films, mostly in comedic roles. He has acted in more than 750 films and is considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema. He has also appeared in villainous roles, such as in '' Mazhavilkavadi'', '' Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu'' and '' Ganamela''. Innocent has won several awards, including three

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Ch ...

. He served as the Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha of India representing Chalakudy constituency. In 1979, he was elected as the

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

or of irinjalakkuda municipality. Innocent won the

2014 Lok Sabha elections General elections were held in India in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May 2014 to elect the members of the 16th Lok Sabha. With 834 million registered voters, they were the largest-ever elections in the world until being surpassed by the 2019 ...

from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as an

independent candidate An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...

supported by the

Left Democratic Front The Left Democratic Front (LDF) is an alliance of left-wing political parties in the state of Kerala, India. It is the current ruling political alliance of Kerala, since 2016. It is one of the two major political alliances in Kerala, the oth ...

(LDF). Innocent served as the president of the

Association of Malayalam Movie Artists The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A) is an Indian organisation of film actors and actresses working in Malayalam cinema, formed in 1994. Governing body The governing body serves for three years. It includes a President, two Vic ...

(AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018. He has written books based on his memories, and columns in magazines and newspapers.

Early life

Innocent was born on 28 February 1948 to Vareed Thekkethala and Margaret in

Irinjalakuda Irinjalakuda is a municipal town in Thrissur district, Kerala, India. It is the headquarters of Irinjalakuda Revenue Division and Mukundapuram Taluk. After Thrissur, this town has most number of administrative, law-enforcement and judicial ...

, Travancore-Cochin (present-day

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

), India. He is the fifth child and third son of his parents, who had eight children. He had his primary education at Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Irinjalakuda, and Sree Sangameswara NSS School, Irinjalakuda. He studied till eighth grade and discontinued his studies as he could not cope with studying. Innocent went to Madras (then) for his acting career and worked there as a production executive and during that time he acted in a minor role in the movie ''Nellu'', which was one of his earlier movies. He fell ill and came to Davangere in the 1970s for treatment for Typhoid, where his cousins George (studying medicine at JJM Medical College), Davis, and his brother Sunny were running the Shamannur Match factory, in Davangere. Later, he was an active partner in the working of the factory. As Innocent was keen on the performance activities, he seized the opportunity to participate in Davangere, Kerala Samajam drama, and received audience approval in entertainment events. He left Davangere in 1974, set up a

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and ho ...

business, then a cycle renting business to make a living. Growing up, he had a few conflicts with his father, Vareed, because his brothers continued to have an excellent education and became successful doctors, lawyers, and judges. After some time, he joined politics and became Municipal councilor of Irinjalakuda.

Film career

Innocent's mannerisms and diction is unique in Malayalam cinema and he wildly caught the attention of the Malayalam audience. This made him almost a phenomenon in the Malayalam comedy scene, also making him a hot favorite for mimicry artistes. His popularity can be gauged from the fact that many frontline directors in Malayalam (like

Priyadarshan Priyadarshan (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Hindi films, while also having done six films in Tamil and two films in Telugu. He has done about 31 films in H ...

, Satyan Anthikkad, Fazil and Kamal) rarely make films without Innocent. He has proven his acting skills in serious and character roles in several films. He has been the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for 12 years. He has held the post for the last four consecutive terms. Innocent entered the film industry in 1972 with the movie ''Nrityashala''. At first, he produced a few serious offbeat films, but he was not successful. In the long span of his career, Innocent has worked in more than 500 films in a variety of roles, mainly in

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

. He has also acted in a few Tamil and

films. Innocent played key comedy roles in superhits like '' Ramji Rao Speaking'', '' Mannar Mathai Speaking'', ''

Kilukkam ''Kilukkam'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language musical romantic comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Venu Nagavalli. The story set in Ooty revolves around tourist guide Joji ( Mohanlal) and photographer Nishchal ( Jagath ...

'', '' Godfather'', ''

Vietnam Colony ''Vietnam Colony'' is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film written and directed by Siddique-Lal. It stars Mohanlal, Innocent, Kanaka, and K. P. A. C. Lalitha. The soundtrack of the film was composed by S. Balakrishnan. The film ...

'', '' Nadodikattu'' and '' Devaasuram''. Innocent has also excelled in character and villain roles such as '' Keli'', '' Kathodu Kathoram''. He proved his skills in other serious roles with a touch of laughter in films such as '' Kabooliwaala'', '' Gajakesariyogam'', '' Mithunam'', '' Mazhavilkavadi'', '' Manassinakkare'', '' Thuruppugulan'', ''

Rasathanthram ''Rasathanthram'' () is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and starring Mohanlal and Meera Jasmine, with Bharath Gopi, Innocent, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, and Mamukkoya in prominent roles. ...

'', and ''

Mahasamudram ''Mahasamudram'' () is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by S. Janardanan and produced by G. Suresh Kumar through Revathy Kalamandhir. It stars Mohanlal, Laila Mehdin, Innocent, Jagathy Sreekumar, and Rahman. Th ...

''. His effort, along with that of the superstars who starred in these films, played an important role in their success. His pairing with K. P. A. C. Lalitha was highly successful in movies such as '' Ponn Muttayidunna Tharavu'', '' My Dear Muthachchan'', '' Godfather'' and '' Manichitrathazhu''. Innocent is one of the most imitated actors in

and

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. Often, mimicry ...

artists have brought him closer to women and children among his fans. The best example of this can be seen in the widely popular Maveli (

Mahabali Mahabali (IAST: Mahābalī), also known as Bali, Indrasenan, or Māveli, is a daitya king featured in Hinduism. He is the grandson of Prahlada, and a descendant of the sage Kashyapa. There are many versions of his legend, in ancient texts suc ...

) comedy cassettes which are brought out by various mimicry groups annually in association with the

Onam Onam ( ) is an annual Indian harvest festival celebrated predominantly by the Hindus of Kerala. A major annual event for Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. Onam commemorates Vaman ...

festival of

in the past few years. These cassettes satirise

, a benevolent King in Kerala's mythology, who is supposed to visit his subjects in

every lunar year on the day of

. These cassettes tend to portray Maveli (

) as a comic King who gets into all sorts of troubles – the script makes use of many contemporary issues in

– on his annual arrival in Kerala. Mimicry artists use Innocent's voice to represent Maveli and all his mannerisms and idiosyncrasies in speech are deftly mimicked to generate laughter in the audience. Innocent's participation in stage shows guarantees him a leading role as an anchor or performer. His Kathaprasangam (oratory combined with poetry) ''Olayaal Menjoru'' is one of the regulars in Gulf stage shows.

Books

Innocent has authored five books: ''Njan Innocent'', ''Cancer Wardile Chiri'', ''Irinjalakudakku Chuttum'' (memoirs), ''Mazha Kannadi'' (collection of short stories) and ''Chirrikku Pinnil'' (autobiography). ''Cancer Wardile Chiri'' (Laughter in the Cancer Ward) is an account of his experiences while undergoing treatment for throat cancer. ''Irinjalakudakku Chuttum'' won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour in

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...

. Innocent also writes columns in magazines and newspapers.

Politics

Innocent was the Thrissur District Secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party during the 1970s. He had contested in the Irinjalakkuda municipal council elections as Revolutionary Socialist Party-backed candidate in 1979 and had won that election. He was rumoured to be a

(LDF)-supported independent candidate from the Irinjalakkuda assembly constituency in the

2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly election The 2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, part of a series of state assembly elections in 2006, was held in three phases. The first phase was held on 22 April 2006, when 59 out of the 140 constituencies in Kerala voted. The second was held ...

s but this did not happen. Innocent won the

from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency in Thrissur district as an independent candidate supported by the LDF. He lost in the

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-pas ...

elections 2019 to UDF candidate Benny Behanan.

Personal life

He married Alice on September 26, 1976, and have a son, Sonnet. Sonnet is married, with two children, Innocent Jr and Anna. Innocent Jr has acted in a documentary as Innocent in childhood. Both Innocent and his wife are cancer survivors.

Awards

;

* 1989 – Second Best Actor – Mazhavil Kavadi * 1981 – Second Best Film (Producer) – Vida Parayum Munpe * 1982 – Second Best Film (Producer) – Ormakkayi ;Kerala State Film Critics Award * 2009 – Best Actor – Patham Nilayile Theevandi ; Asianet Film Award * 2001 – Supporting Actor Award – Ravanaprabhu * 2004 – Supporting Actor Award – Vesham * 2006 – Best Actor in a Comic Role –

, Yes Your Honour * 2008 – Supporting Actor Award – Innathe Chintha Vishayam * 2010 - Character Actor Award - Kadha Thudarunnu * 2011 - Character Actor Award -

Snehaveedu ''Snehaveedu'' () is a 2011 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film written and directed by Sathyan Anthikad. It was produced by Alan Richard under the company Aashirvad Cinemas. The film stars Mohanlal, Sheela, and Rahul Pillai. It was ...

, Swapna Sanchari * 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award ;Other awards * 2004 - Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Malayalam for Manassinakkare * 2007 –

Sathyan Sathyan is a common Indian name and can refer to: * Sathyan (actor) (1912–1971), Manuel Sathyaneshan , Malayalam film actor * Sathyan (Tamil actor) (born 1975), Tamil film comedian and actor * Sathyan (singer) Satyan, (Satyan Mahalingam), ...

Award * 2008 – Annual Malayalam Movie Award (Dubai) for Outstanding Performance * 2013 – TTK Prestige-Vanitha Film Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award * 2019 –He is Distributing Awards Realtors Investors Summit

Partial filmography

As actor

;Malayalam films ;Other language films

Story

* ''Pavam IA Ivachan'' (1994) * ''Keerthanam'' (1995)

Producer

* ''

Vida Parayum Munpe ''Vida Parayum Munpe'' () is a 1981 Malayalam-language drama film directed by Mohan, written by John Paul and produced by Innocent and David Kachappilli. The film stars Prem Nazir and Nedumudi Venu in lead roles, while Lakshmi, Innocent, B ...

'' (1981) * '' Ilakkangal'' (1982) * ''

Ormakkayi '' Ormakkayi '' (officially ''Ormakkyaie'') is a 1982 Malayalam drama film directed by Bharathan and written by John Paul. The film stars Madhavi, Bharath Gopi, Adoor Bhasi, Nedumudi Venu, Ramu, Krishnachandran and Kunchan in pivotal roles. ...

'' (1982) * '' Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback'' (1983)

Playback singing

* ''Aanachandam'' – Gajakesariyogam (1990) * ''Kandallo'' – Sandram (1990) * ''Kunukupenmaniye'' – Mr Butler (2000) * ''Onnam Malakeri'' – Kalyanaraman (2002) * ''Sundarakeralam'' – Doctor Innocentanu (2012)

Television

References

External links

* *
Movie Index

Profile of Malayalam Actor Innocent

16th LS member from Kerala
{{DEFAULTSORT:Innocent Indian male comedians People from Irinjalakuda Indian male film actors Male actors from Kerala Kerala State Film Award winners Living people 1948 births People from Thrissur Filmfare Awards South winners India MPs 2014–2019 Independent politicians in India Indian actor-politicians Kerala municipal councillors Malayalam comedians 20th-century Indian male actors Kerala politicians Revolutionary Socialist Party (India) politicians People from Chalakudy Politicians from Thrissur Male actors in Kannada cinema Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Malayalam cinema 21st-century Indian male actors Malayalam screenwriters Malayalam playback singers Malayalam film producers Film producers from Kerala Male actors from Thrissur Male actors in Malayalam television Recipients of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award