Suresh Gopi to Kunchacko Boban, Mollywood mourns the demise of Oommen Chandy: 'An example of selflessness'

Most Malayalis woke up on Tuesday morning to the sad news of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s demise. His son Chandy Oommen took to his social media page in the wee hours of July 18 to post that the 79-year-old political leader had passed away. Chandy was in Bengaluru, undergoing treatment for cancer.

Celebrities from the Malayalam film industry took to their social media pages to pay homage to the politician, who had served as the State’s Chief Minister for seven years and also had the record of serving as MLA for more than half a century for the Puthupally constituency.

Kunchacko Boban, who was among the first to react to the news, posted on his social media page, “Oommen Chandy sir... one of the most popular individuals in Kerala politics. A person who was no doubt an example of selflessness in his public and private life. His demise is an incredible loss to the people of Kerala and me personally.”

Actors such as Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nivin Pauly, Tovino Thomas, Suresh Gopi and Dileep followed suit, expressing condolences to the politician’s family.

Meanwhile, Minnal Murali director Basil Joseph and actress Nikhila Vimal also paid their tribute to the former Kerala CM through their Insta stories. "You will be remembered for the good you did. Wishing you gentle rest," wrote the Por Thozhil actress.

Kerala government has declared a public holiday for all public institutions on Tuesday. Chandy’s body will be flown down to the State capital Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon and will be kept there for public homage for a day. On Wednesday, it will be taken to his hometown in Kottayam. The burial will be on Thursday.