Suriya's unconditional admiration for late Malayalam actor Innocent goes beyond the screen

Iconic Malayalam actor Innocent passed away on Monday. Innocent was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi earlier this month when he complained of breathing difficulties . The medical bulletin issued by the VPS Lakeshore Hospital said that "respiratory problems, multiple organ failures and cardiac arrest" lead to the death of Innoncent. Innoncent was under the medical care of the hospital since March 3. 

The 75-year-old actor has left a major void in Malayalam cinema. His passing has pushed Malayalam film fans across the world into a state of sadness. He enjoyed fan following across generations and languages. Tamil superstar Suriya is one of his big fans. His strong respect and admiration for the iconic actor were evident from his off-screen interactions.

Also Read: The best roles of Malayalam film legend Innocent

"One of my biggest achievements is taking a selfie with Innocent sir. I am a huge fan of his and taking a selfie with him is like a big record for me," Suriya had said in Kochi at an event that happened a few years ago. 

Suriya is not just a fan of Innocent's acting skills. He is equally in awe of his charming and witty personality that gave his onscreen performance an indomitable edge over his contemporaries. In another interview, Suriya could be seen recounting the offscreen anecdotes of Innocent. 

"Innocent sir and Mohanlal sir were shooting together a for a film. The director kept asking Innocent sir for retakes and it went up to 13 retakes. When Mohanlal sir laughed at Innocent mockingly, Innocent sir got irked. And he told Mohanlal sir, "hey, you know why you get to do only one take? Because the director knows you cannot give any variations in performances. Both take 1 and take 2 will look the same. But, I would give 14 variations in 13 takes. So the director wonders which one to pick. You act in monotone," Suriya had recalled. 

Innocent was laid to rest on Tuesday with full state honours. The who's who of Malayalam cinema were present at his funeral and paid their last respects to the legendary actor.