When Sathaar returned to Malayalam cinema after a hiatus through Aashiq Abu’s 22 Female Kottayam (2012), the industry was going through a ‘new-generation’ phase. Grey had become the most preferred shade. The moral compass in movies was no longer dictated by traditional value systems. And, the ethical didactic between the hero and the villain had blurred. The veteran actor played DK, a businessman past his 50s, in 22 Female Kottayam, a milestone work in the new-generation wave. DK has a family and multiple young lovers. He has a private bunch of henchmen who are always on call, and when a young woman asks him for help, he demands sex in return. The film doesn’t judge him for his moral choices. Sathaar could fit smoothly into this new Malayalam cinema, perhaps more easily than any of his contemporaries, because he had always portrayed characters with grey shades.
The veteran actor died following a prolonged liver ailment at a hospital in Kochi on Tuesday morning. He was 67.
Sathaar was born in Kadungalloor, near Aluva in Ernakulam district. A post-graduate in history, he made his debut as an actor in 1976 through Anavaranam, directed by Vincent, in which he played the hero. Although he continued to play the hero in a few more films, such as Yatheem, Sathaar is best remembered for his villain roles in films such as Ottayan and character roles in classic Malayalam films from the 80s such as Ee Naadu, Avalude Raavukal, Neelathamara and Padayottam.
He acted in over 300 films in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. After earning rave reviews for his performance in 22 Female Kottayam, he acted in films such as Natholi Oru Cheriya Meenalla, God For Sale and Manglish. His last film Parayaan Baakki Vachathu is yet to be released.
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Sathaar entered the business of film production with actor Ratheesh, who was his close friend, and produced three films — Black Mail, Revenge and Kampolam. Sathaar, by his own admission in many interviews, was shattered when Ratheesh died in 2002 following a heart attack. At the age of 27, he married Jayabharathi, a popular actress and his co-star in films such as Beena. The couple later parted ways. Their son, Krish J Sathaar, made his debut as an actor through Siddique’s Ladies And Gentlemen (2013).
The funeral will be held on Tuesday at 4 pm at Padinjare Juma Masjid, Kadungallur.
Feature image courtesy: News18.com, Mangalam.