Mohan Raj, popularly known as Keerikadan Jose, the Malayalam actor who was best known as a villain, passed away here at his house on Thursday. Raj was a Central government official before being cast as the villain in Kireedam, his second film in 1989. Mohan Raj Aka Keerikkadan Jose Passes Away; Malayalam Actor Was Known for His Roles in ‘Kireedam’, ‘Pathram’, ‘Narasimham’ Among Others.

In the film, the screen name of his character was Keerikadan Jose, which got attached to him and became popular with the name. The film also saw Mohanlal as the hero which turned out to be one of the all-time hits in Malayalam cinema. After the stupendous success of that film, the stock of Raj alias Jose also skyrocketed, and he went on to act in more than 300 films.

Mohan Raj Aka Keerikkadan Jose Dies at 61

Raj was a tall and well-built person and his sound combined with his facial expression helped him to take the role of villain to a new level in South Indian films. A few years back, while doing a stunt scene for a Telegu film, he suffered a leg injury, and from then on, he was unable to recover fully. The last film he acted in was in 2022 in the Mammootty film Rorshach after which his health deteriorated and remained at home. Veteran Malayalam Actress Kaviyoor Ponnamma Dies at 79; Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Mourns Her Demise.

There were instances when people used to crowd around him by calling his screen name, Keerikaden Jose. The last rites will be held in the state capital on Friday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2024 09:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).