On Friday morning in Chennai, actor, and director Pratap Pothen of Malayalam fame passed away. He was in his 70s. A body was discovered inside the actor’s apartment. In Chennai, he apparently lives alone. More information regarding his passing is awaited. Pratap’s most recent film appearance was in the recently released CBI5 The Brain, which starred Mammootty.
He has appeared in around 100 movies, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam productions. He made his acting debut in 1978’s Aaravam, directed by Bharatan, and some of his other well-known films include Thakara, Chamaram, and 22 Female Kottayam. Pratap became well-known in Tamil with movies like Moodupani (1980), Varumayin Niram Sivappu (1980), Nenjathai Killathe (1980), and Panneer Pushpangal (1981).
Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai, a 1985 film about a mentally ill couple that also won the national award, served as Pratap Pothen’s directorial debut. Rithubhedam, Daisy, and Oru Yathramozhi, starring Mohanlal and Sivaji Ganeshan, are three Malayalam movies he directed.
Among the last films, he acted in were CBI 5: The Brain with Mammootty and the upcoming Mohanlal directorial Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure. In Tamil, he was last seen in the courtroom thriller Ponmagal Vanthal starring Jyothika and produced by 2D Entertainment, and in a guest appearance in last year’s political comedy Tughlaq Darbar, led by Parthiban and Vijay Sethupathi.
In 1985, Pratap wed the actress Raadhika. Their union, however, did not last long, and they divorced in 1986. Then, in 1990, he wed again, this time to Senior Corporate Professional Amala Sathyanath. Keya, the couple’s daughter, was born in 1991. After 22 years, their marriage also came to an end in 2012.
