Adoor Bhasi

Some Lesser Known Facts About Adoor Bhasi

• Adoor Bhasi’s father passed away when he was studying in Thiruvananthapuram. So the family shifted to Adoor, his father’s hometown, where he completed his school education. He returned to Thiruvananthapuram to complete his college education.

• He belonged to a family of legendary authors.

• His first job was as an apprentice at the Lakshmi Textile Factory in Thiruvananthapuram for a short period.

• He used to be part of amateur stage dramas and plays that were broadcast on All India Radio.

• He managed P. K. Memorial Press and Sakhi Weekly, both affiliated with playwright T. N. Gopinathan Nair. This friendship helped him in his entry into the Malayalam film industry.

  

• He worked in over 700 films in the Malayalam film industry.

• He directed three films – Aadhya Paadam (1977), Acharam Ammini Osharam Omana (1977), and Reghu Vamsam (1978).

• He sang over 25 songs in various films.

• He wrote one of the songs he sang, Angaadi Marunnukal from the film Amrithavaahini (1976).

• He played a variety of characters such as comedy roles in films like Viruthan Shanku (1968), negative roles in films like Itha Oru Manushyan (1978), and main character in the film Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal (1979).

• Adoor Bhasi was the childhood friend and close colleague of actor Prem Nazir, whose death in 1989, reportedly disturbed him mentally. He acted in Prem Nazir’s debut film Thyagaseema (1951), which was never released. They acted in 268 films together.

  

• He contested in a corporation election as a member of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and lost to the candidate of the Praja Socialist Party by a small margin of 26 votes.

• He was a strong believer in Lord Ayyappa and Guruvayoorappan.

• In the book Adoor Basi Chiriyum Chinthayum by his brother Padman, Adoor Bhasi used to carry a mobile Puja room to his shooting sets for his daily prayers.

• He liked to collect and wear gold jewellery.

• His association with actor Bahadur was very popular and the duo was known as the Laurel and Hardy of the Malayalam film industry.

  

• He was undergoing dialysis treatment as both his kidneys had failed towards the end of his life. He also suffered from other diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. He developed infections after a kidney operation, which ultimately led to his death in March 1990.

• His last rites were done with full State honours at his family home in Adoor.

• Years after his death, actor KPAC Lalitha revealed in an interview that Adoor Bhasi conspired against her for some reasons and had her removed from several films. She complained about the same in the film association, Chalachitra Parishad, where she did not get a favourable solution from the secretary, K. P. Ummer. She wrote about it in detail in her autobiography, Katha Thudarum.

• In his career spanning almost 4 decades, he has acted with all leading actors such as Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, K. P. Ummer, Jayan, Sukumaran, M. G. Soman, Mammootty, and Mohanlal.