Innocent Member of Parliament |
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ഇന്നസെന്റ് വറീത് തെക്കേത്തല | |
Member of Parliament for Chalakudy | |
Assumed office 16 May 2014 |
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Preceded by | K.P. Dhanapalan |
Personal details | |
Born |
Innocent Vareed Thekkethala 28 February 1945 Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala |
Nationality | Indian |
Spouse(s) | Alice |
Children | Sonnet |
Parents | Vareed Thekkethala, Margaret Thekkethala |
Occupation | Actor, politician |
Website | innocent |
Innocent Vareed Thekkethala (born 28 February 1945), popularly known as Innocent, is an Indian film actor and politician. He was born in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district of the state of Kerala. He is one of the most successful and leading comedy actors of Malayalam cinema. He is noted for his witty mannerisms and dialogue delivery in the typical Thrissur accent.
In 2013, Innocent was diagnosed with throat cancer (lymphoma) and was hospitalised. But sources close to him stated the cancer was in its early stages for which he duly took treatment. Innocent won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Chalakudy Lok Sabha constituency, comprising 3 assembly constituencies in Thrissur district and 4 assembly constituencies of Ernakulam district, as an independent candidate supported by the Left Democratic Front.
Innocent's mannerisms and diction is unique in Malayalam cinema and he wildly caught the attention of the Malayalam audience. This made him almost a phenomenon in the Malayalam comedy scene, also making him a hot favourite for mimicry artistes. His popularity can be gauged from the fact that many frontline directors in Malayalam (like Priyadarshan, Satyan Anthikkad, Fazil and Kamal) rarely make films without Innocent. He has proven his acting skills in serious and character roles in several films. He has been the president of Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for 12 years. He has held the post for the last four consecutive terms.
Innocent entered the film industry in 1972 with the movie Nrityashala. At first, he produced a few serious offbeat films, but he was not successful. In the long span of his career, Innocent has worked in more than 500 films in a variety of roles, mainly in Malayalam. He has also acted in a few Tamil and Hindi films.