Kainakary Thankaraj ( ml, കൈനകരി തങ്കരാജ്, 18 October 1946 – 3 April 2022) was an Indian actor, who worked in the Malayalam movie industry and Malayalam Drama Theater Industry.

Life and career

Kainakary, the son of the playwright Krishnankutty Bhagavathar, was born on 18 October 1946 in

Kainakary Kainakary is a village in Kuttanad Taluk in Alappuzha District of the Indian state of Kerala. History Kainakary was part of the Chembakassery Dynasty. Geography Five rivers originating from the Western Ghats, including the sacred Pamba River ...

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

. He started acting at the age of 13 and worked on several theater committees, including

Kerala People's Arts Club Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC) is a theatrical movement in Kayamkulam, Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with Communist Party of India in Kerala. KPAC was very influential in popularising ...

. He made his film debut in

Aanappaachan ''Aanappaachan'' is a 1978 Indian Malayalam film, directed by A. Vincent and produced by Boban Kunchacko. The film stars Prem Nazir, Jayan, Sheela and Adoor Bhasi in the lead roles. The film has musical score by G. Devarajan. Cast *Prem Nazi ...

(1978) starring

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 7 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the histo ...

. He went on to act in over 35 films. Thankaraj started acting in plays while he was still in school and soon became a popular face in the amateur theatre circuit along with Nedumudi Venu, Faasil and Alleppey Ashraf. His first professional play was Changanasserry Geetha. He has been part of many professional theatre collectives including Kottayam National Theaters, Chalakkuddy Saradhi and KPAC. In 1995, he started his own theatre collective named Kainakary Theaters. He also formed a theatre troupe named Ambalappuzha Aksharajwala along with late actor Thilakan. Kainakary was in treatment for liver-related problems for a long time and died on 3 April 2022 at his home in Velamkonam in

Keralapuram Keralapuram is a suburban town in Kollam District of Kerala, India. It is located on National Highway 744 (India) at a distance of around 10 kilometers from Kollam City. Keralapuram is famous for numerous cashew factories in the region. It is ...

. He was 75.

Selected filmography

References

External links

* 1946 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Indian male actors Male actors in Malayalam cinema Indian male film actors 21st-century Indian male actors People from Alappuzha district {{India-actor-stub