Veteran Malayalam Actor Captain Raju Passes Away at His Residence in Kochi, he Was 68

Captain Raju had suffered a stroke while on a flight headed to the US.

Veteran Malayalam actor Raju Daniel or Captain Raju as he was known, passed away at his residence in Kochi, Kerala on Monday morning. The actor, who was known for his performance in character roles and as a villain, was 68.

The actor had suffered a stroke a few months back while he was travelling on a flight from India to the US where he was supposed to attend his son’s wedding. The flight had to be diverted to Oman, Muscat where he was hospitalised. After his condition was declared stable, his family requested that he be transferred to Kochi for further treatment.

Captain Raju, who joined the Indian Army at the age of 21, quit the military to pursue an acting career in 1981. He has acted in more than 500 films in the languages of Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and English. He made his acting debut with movie Raktham, but his performance as flamboyant ‘professional killer’ Pavanayi in Nadodikkattu stands out most.

The actor, who was second among seven children of KG Daniel and Annamma, also appeared in television serials and advertisements. He was last seen in 2017’s Masterpiece.

Captain Raju leaves behind his wife Prameela and son Ravi.