Kalabhavan Navas

Some lesser Known Facts About Kalabhavan Navas

• Kalabhavan Nava was a Malayalam actor, comedian, and mimicry artist who was a prominent figure in the Malayalam entertainment industry for nearly three decades.

• Navas was born and grew up in Wadakkancherry, Kerala.

• He was raised in a family of performing artists. His father was a theatre and film actor who appeared in several Malayalam films, while his mother, originally from Ernakulam, worked as a homemaker.

• Inspired by his father’s legacy, Navas developed a passion for performance early in life, ultimately leading him to pursue a career in mimicry and cinema.

• Despite his father’s career as an actor, the family’s income was limited, and they lived on a tight budget during Navas’s childhood.

• Kalabhavan Navas started his professional career at the age of 21.

• After starting his career as an artist, he relocated to his mother’s ancestral home in Ernakulam, where he lived for twenty years.

• His elder brother, Niyas Backer, is also a comic actor in both film and television. His younger brother, Nisam (also known as Nisamuddin), is pursuing a career as a journalist.

  

• Inspired by the mimicry artists of their time, such as Jayaram and Zainuddin, the Navas and his brother Niyas developed a strong interest in mimicry and began performing on stage. Navas later joined Kalabhavan, where he started doing professional mimicry shows. He also adopted his name “Kalabhavan Navas”.

• Eventually, he and his brother Niyas founded Cochin Arts, where they continued to perform mimicry. Navas often imitated his father’s roles on stage.

• Navas made his acting debut in 1995 with the film Chaithanyam. He gained recognition for his comedic roles in films such as Hitler Brothers (1997), My Dear Karadi (1999), One Man Show (2001) and Thillana Thillana (2003).

Navas was a prominent actor on Malayalam television, hosting and judging popular comedy shows such as Badai Bungalow, Comedy Stars, Comedy Masters, and Thakarppan Comedy.

• Kalabhavan Navas was married to the popular Malayalam actress Rehana. It was Navas’ brother, Niyas, who approached Rehana’s family with a marriage proposal for him. However, her father, a stage actor, initially denied their marriage because Rehana had an unmarried older sister. Navas waited for three years for Rehana’s sister to get married before they were finally able to tie the knot in October 2002.

  

• After getting married, Navas wrote and directed the telefilm Velicham, which starred his wife, Rehna. The couple also appeared together in the short film Mandan Bench in 2015. They reunited for leading roles in the 2025 film Izha, which marked Rehna’s return to feature films.

• In 2021, Kalabhavan Navas’s daughter made her debut in the Malayalam film Confessions of a Cuckoo.

• On 1 August 2025, Navas was found unconscious at a hotel in Chottanikkara, after having returned to his room from a film shooting. His death was confirmed at the nearest hospital. The initial cause of his death was reported as cardiac arrest.

• Navas was working on an upcoming comedy-thriller film, Prakambanam, at the time of his death.

• A state-level tribute and public funeral was held in Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, which was attended by top Malayalam actors, comedians, and fans.

• During an interview, Kalabhavan Navas once mentioned that he had previously survived a major car accident, which gave him a new perspective on life. He had fallen asleep while driving.

• Navas often visited Dubai and Muscat for stage shows for the Malayali people.

• He had also judged various talent TV shows and mentored young artists in Kerala.

• Navas and his wife were known to do various charity events without charging a fee.

• He enjoyed light classical music and was an occasional playback singer.

• Kalabhavan Navas was an avid cricket lover and often played friendly matches with his co-actors.