Innocent
Innocent in 2011
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 5 June 2014 (2014-06-05) – 23 May 2019 (2019-05-23)
Preceded by	K. P. Dhanapalan
Succeeded by	Benny Behanan
Constituency	Chalakudy
Municipal councillor ofIrinjalakuda
In office 1979 (1979) – 1982 (1982)
Personal details
Born	Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (1948-02-28)28 February 1948 Irinjalakuda,Kingdom of Cochin,Dominion of India
Died	26 March 2023(2023-03-26) (aged 75) Kochi,Kerala, India
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Alice ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	1
Occupation	Actor writer politician producer singer
Years active	1972–2023

Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (28 February 1948 – 26 March 2023), knownmononymously asInnocent, was an Indian actor, film producer, writer and politician,^[1] who in a career spanning almost five decades has appeared in over 700 films predominantly inMalayalam cinema in addition to a fewTamil,Kannada,Hindi andEnglish films, mostly in comedic roles.^[2] Widely regarded as one of the greatest comedians in the history of Malayalam cinema, he is also known for his negative and highly nuanced character roles.^[3] He is also the recipient of several awards, including threeKerala State Film Awards, aKerala Film Critics Award, aFilmfare Awards South and sevenAsianet Film Awards.^[4] He also won the prestigiousKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour in2020, for his bookIrinjalakudakku Chuttum.^[5] He is noted for his wit and impressive dialogue delivery in the typicalThrissur slang.^[3]

He served as aMember of Parliament in the16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) of India representingChalakudy constituency.^[6] In 1979, he was elected as themunicipal councilor ofIrinjalakuda municipality.^[6] Innocent won the2014 Lok Sabha elections fromChalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as anindependent candidate supported by theLeft Democratic Front (LDF).^[7] Innocent served as the president of theAssociation of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018.^[8][9]

In 2012, Innocent was diagnosed withnon-Hodgkin lymphoma.^[10] After overcoming the first stage of cancer, he returned to the silver screen in 2013 with films likeGeethanjali.^[11]Cancer Wardile Chiri (Laughter in the Cancer Ward) is a memoir written by Innocent while he was undergoing cancer treatment.^[12] Innocent wrote seven books based on his experiences at different phases of life with a humorous undertone.^[13] He also contributed to columns in numerous magazines and newspapers.^[14] In 2020, Innocent won theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour for his bookIrinjalakudaku Chuttum.^[15]

Innocent was born on 28 February 1948 to Margaret and Vareed of the Thekkethala house inIrinjalakuda,Kingdom of Cochin (present-dayKerala).^[16][6] He was the fifth child and third son of his parents, who had eight children. He had his primary education atLittle 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.^[17]

During the emergency years, Innocent made his way to Davanagere and joined his cousins George (studying medicine at JJM Medical College), Davis, and his brother Sunny who were managing the Shamannur Match factory. Later, he became the proprietor of the factory. To get detailed insight into his early struggles and making of Innocent, the actor, please refer: My contemporary Cousin in thefreshblog.com

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.^[18]

Innocent left Davangere in 1974. He tried his hand at multiple businesses and jobs to eke out a living. From being a stationary owner to a wholesale sandal distributor to setting up a leather business to a cycle renting business to a cement supplier and also that of a coach cum manager of a volleyball team, a game he knew nothing about.

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 entered politics and became Municipal councilor of Irinjalakuda.^[19]

Innocent entered the film industry in 1972 with the movieNritashala. 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 700 films, mostly in comedy roles, predominantly inMalayalam. He has also acted in a fewTamil andHindi films.^[20]

Innocent's mannerisms and diction is unique in Malayalam cinema and he wildly caught the attention of the Malayalam audience. This made him one of the best 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 (likePriyadarshan,Satyan Anthikkad,Fazil andKamal) rarely made films without Innocent. He has proven his acting skills in serious and character roles in several films. He has been the president ofthe Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for 12 years. He held the post for four consecutive terms.^[21]

Innocent played has played many comedy roles in movies likeRamji Rao Speaking,Mannar Mathai Speaking,Kilukkam,Godfather,Vietnam Colony,Nadodikattu,Manichitrathazhu,Kalyanaraman,Chronic Bachelor etc. Innocent has also played several character and villain roles in movies such asKeli,Kathodu Kathoram.^[22]

He predominantly worked inMalayalam films in addition to a fewTamil,Kannada,Hindi andEnglish films, mostly in comedic roles. In a career spanning more than five decades, he acted in more than 700 films and is considered one of the best comedians in Malayalam cinema. He also appeared in roles with negative shades such as inMazhavilkavadi,Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu andGanamela.^[23] Innocent won several awards, includingKerala State Film Award andKerala Film Critics Award.

Other films includeKabooliwaala,Gajakesariyogam,Mithunam,Mazhavilkavadi,Manassinakkare,Thuruppugulan,Rasathanthram,Naran andMahasamudram. His pairing withK. P. A. C. Lalitha was highly successful. They have acted together in many movies such asPonn Muttayidunna Tharavu,My Dear Muthachchan,Godfather andManichitrathazhu.^[24][2]Philip's was his last film before his death in March 2023.

Innocent has authored seven books:Njan Innocent,Cancer Wardile Chiri,Irinjalakudakku Chuttum (memoirs),Mazha Kannadi (collection of short stories),Chirrikku Pinnil (autobiography) andKalante Delhi Yathra Anthikkad Vazhi are some of them.Cancer Wardile Chiri (Laughter in the Cancer Ward) is an account of his experiences while undergoing treatment for throat cancer.^[25][26]Irinjalakudakku Chuttum won theKerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Humour in2020.^[5]

Innocent was theIrinjalakkuda Mandalam Secretary of theRevolutionary Socialist Party during the 1970s. He had contested theIrinjalakkuda municipal council elections as Revolutionary Socialist Party-backed candidate in 1979 and had won that election.^[7] He was rumoured to be aLeft Democratic Front (LDF)-supported independent candidate from theIrinjalakkuda assembly constituency in the2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections but this did not happen.^[27] Innocent won the2014 Lok Sabha elections fromChalakudy Lok Sabha constituency inThrissur district as an independent candidate supported by theLDF.^[7]

Innocent lost in theLok Sabha elections 2019 toUDF candidateBenny Behanan.

On 26 September 1976, Innocent married Alice; they had a son named Sonnet. Innocent Jr. and Anna are Sonnet's twin children. Childhood Innocent was played by Innocent Jr. in a documentary.^[28]

On 3 March 2023, Innocent was suddenly hospitalised after feeling ill.^[29][30] He was placed underextracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support after his condition turned for the worse. A cancer survivor, Innocent was in the hospital for nearly three weeks. He died atVPS Lakeshore Hospital inKochi, Kerala, on 26 March 2023, at the age of 75^[31] of complications from COVID-19 as confirmed by Dr.V. P. Gangadharan who was treating him.^[32]

This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Kerala State Film Awards

• 1989 –Second Best Actor –Mazhavil Kavadi,Jaathakam
• 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 –Rasathanthram, Yes Your Honour
• 2008 – Supporting Actor Award –Innathe Chintha Vishayam
• 2010 - Character Actor Award -Kadha Thudarunnu
• 2011 - Character Actor Award -Snehaveedu, Swapna Sanchari
• 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award^[33]

Other awards

• 2004 –Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Malayalam forManassinakkare
• 2007 –Sathyan Award^[27]
• 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^[34]

This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Pavam IA Ivachan (1994)
• Keerthanam (1995)

• Vida Parayum Munpe (1981)
• Ilakkangal (1982)
• Ormakkayi (1982)
• Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983)

• Aanachandam – Gajakesariyogam (1990)^[41]
• Kandallo – Sandram (1990)
• Kunukupenmaniye – Mr Butler (2000)
• Onnam Malakeri – Kalyanaraman (2002)
• Chendakkoru kolundeda – Manassinakkare (2003)
• Sundarakeralam – Doctor Innocentanu (2012)
• SaMaGaReSa - Tsunami (2021)

• Innocent (12 December 2013).Cancer Wardile Chiri. Mathrubhumi Books. p. 127.ISBN 9788182661110.ASIN 8182659108.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toInnocent (actor).

• Innocent atIMDb
• Movie Index
• Profile of Malayalam Actor Innocent
• 16th LS member from Kerala

• 1948 births
• 2023 deaths
• Indian male comedians
• People from Irinjalakuda
• Actors from Thrissur district
• Indian male film actors
• Male actors from Kerala
• Kerala State Film Award winners
• 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
• Politicians from Kerala
• 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
• Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India
• Kerala Film Critics Awards winners

• CS1 Malayalam-language sources (ml)
• Articles using Template:ASIN with an all-numeric value
• CS1: unfit URL
• CS1 uses Malayalam-language script (ml)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use Indian English from August 2022
• All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English
• Use dmy dates from March 2023
• Articles with hCards
• Articles needing additional references from January 2023
• All articles needing additional references
• Commons category link from Wikidata