Innocent Vareed Thekkethala

Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (28 February 1948 – 26 March 2023), known mononymously as Innocent, was an Indian actor, film producer, writer and politician.[1] He predominantly worked in Malayalam films in addition to few Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and English 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.[2] He also appeared in roles with negative shades such as in Mazhavilkavadi, Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu and Ganamela.[3] Innocent had won several awards, including Kerala State Film Award and Kerala Film Critics Award. He served as the Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019) of India representing Chalakudy constituency.[4] In 1979, he was elected as the municipal councilor of Irinjalakuda municipality.[4] Innocent won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency as an independent candidate supported by the Left Democratic Front (LDF).[5] Innocent served as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a guild of Malayalam artists from 2003 to 2018.

Born on: 4 March, 1948