Veteran Malayalam actor Kollam G Krishna Pillai passed away at his residence in Chavara on Saturday, 29 January, due to age-related illness. He was 81. Pillai was cremated at Mulamkadakam cemetery in Kollam on Sunday evening.
However, many people, including some popular media houses, have mistaken him for another Malayalam actor who is a namesake and was last seen in the popular Malayalam serial "Kunkumapoo" on Asianet. The news outlets also carried the wrong photo while reporting on the death of the "My Dear Kuttichathan" actor. It has to be noted that both the actors have made a mark in the industry with their presence in many films and television serials.
Kollam GK Pillai, born in 1934, began his career as a theatre artiste and later became a familiar face for the Kerala audience, portraying many comic and character roles in Malayalam movies and TV serials.
In a career spanning six decades, he acted in more than 4,000 plays and 80 movies. He made his acting debut in films with AN Thampi's directorial venture "Masappady Mathupillai" in 1973. Some of his notable movies are "Sayoojyam" (1979), "Lajjavathi" (1979), "My Dear Kuttichathan" (1984), "Aa Neram Alpa Dooram" (1985), "Ulsavappittennu" (1988) and "Arabikkadaloram" (1995).
However, due to vision impairment, he had stayed away from the entertainment industry for the past four years. He was last seen in the Malayalam serial "Nilavilaku". Before beginning his career as an actor, Pillai used to work as a conductor with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation.
He is survived by his wife Madhavikuttiama and four children — Jayasree, Usha Kumari, Vijayasri and Bindhusri.
