Renowned Malayalam actor Prathap Pothen passes away at 69, tributes pour in

Renowned Malayalam actor, Prathap Pothen, passed away on Friday morning. The 69-year-old actor had immortalised character roles in around 100 films during his career spanning seven decades. The actor had not only worked in Malayalam films but also in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Pothen was also credited as a film producer, director and screenwriter. He directed around 12 films. Throughout his career, Pothen shared the screen with many notable actors in southern cinema.

According to a report in The Hindu, Chennai Police has confirmed that the actor died of natural health causes. The Kilpauk Police informed that they are currently investigating the death.


The police have cordoned off the area near the actor’s residence. Several actors and personalities from the film personalities are expected to visit to pay their last respects to the actor.

Following the news, several actors took to their social media to express their grief. Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his Twitter account to share an image of the actor. “Rest in Peace, uncle. I will miss you,” tweeted the actor.
Pothen was born on August 13, 1952. He completed his education at Lawrence School, Lovedale in Ooty and Madras Christian College. The ‘Chamaram’ actor married Tamil actress Radhika in 1986, however, they separated in 1986. The actor later married Amala Sathyanath in 1990 and they have a daughter. In 2012, Pothen and Sathyanath separated .

The actor was working on Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s directorial debut, ‘Barroz’.Towards his later years, Pothen was also running an ad agency Green Apple.