Innocent: A laughter that defeated even cancer

Actor Innocent
| Photo Credit: Illustration: Satheesh Vellinezhi

Cancer and laughter are two things which never go together. But Innocent handled both with ease. He laughed at the disease, which came at the peak of his career. His journey through cancer gave hope and courage for hundreds of patients.

His inspirational book ‘Cancer Wardile Chiri’ ‘(Laughter in the Cancer Ward) will continue to give courage to hundreds of patients battling the chronic disease, which carries a lot of taboo even today.

Also read |Actor Innocent’s funeral to be held on Tuesday, March 28

Conquering cancer with a smile

People were amused when laughter came from the cancer ward, which until then was used only to cries and pains. He chose comedy to fight the disease. He never let his spirit down.

He managed to be optimistic and humorous even through the challenging days of chemotherapy and radiation. His laughter was infectious, filling positive energy even in fellow patients. Recalling those days, Innocent said his strong faith in God had helped him face the challenge with hope.

In the foreword of ‘Laughter in the cancer ward,’ famous oncologist Dr. V. P. Gangadharan, who treated Innocent, wrote: “Innocent himself is now a medicine for cancer. His humorous approach to the illness proved more successful than the medicines. It helped him to improve immunity and reduce the negative impact of medicines. His faith in science and the doctor played a significant role. His book is inspirational for many patients who go through the same experience.”

Underscoring the importance of being positive even in the hardest times, the book was later included in the syllabus of fifth standard in Kerala schools.

King of comedy

The epitome of comedy, Innocent’s most brilliant aspect was his ability to effortlessly adapt to any circumstances and any persona. That transformation was very easy for him. He handled the roles of Mathai in Ramji Rao Speaking, Varrier in Devasusram and Ravanaprabhu, and the strict father character in Malayogam with equal ease.

He showed the same ease in adapting to the disease too. He was amused at each and every situation in life. Innocent once funnily recalled a Tamil flower vendor, who waited in his shop for the news of the actor’s death once he was diagnosed with cancer. Whenever he left the shop, the vendor left a boy in charge. He was waiting for good business once the actor died.

On and off-screen, his most lethal weapon was his capacity to make people laugh. Even after being diagnosed with cancer he never left cinema, except for a year, when he was totally down.