Kadhaprasangam artist V.D. Rajappan dies

One of Kerala’s most popular artists and comedians, V.D. Rajappan died on Thursday at a private hospital in Kottayam, family sources said.

Rajappan, 70, was ailing for the past few years. He is survived by his wife and two sons.

The last rites would take place on Friday near Kottayam.

In the past, Kadhaprasangam was a popular performing art style. Kadhaprasangam is a one-person show; the same actor must tell the story by acting, singing, delivering dialogue and playing music.

Rajappan took the art form and made it his own — he included parody songs in his storytelling, and enjoyed great success in the 70s.

Using his popularity as a Kadhaprasangam artist as a springboard, he entered the Malayalam film industry and acted in more than 100 films, playing mostly comedic roles from 1982 to 2005.

Meleparambil Aanveedu, Alibabayum Arara Kallanmarum, Mutharamkunnu P.O, Kusruthikkaattu are some of his popular films.

As a performing artist, Rajappan performed on more than 6,000 stages not just in Kerala but also across India and abroad.

Kerala’s Minister for Cinema, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, said Rajappan was a hugely popular artist who took the art form to new heights. “He will be solely missed, but his stories will be always heard for many years to come,” said Radhakrishnan.