Malayalam actor Mukesh all set for Kerala poll campaign

Popular Malayalam actor Mukesh, who has been in films since 1982, is all set to make his debut political campaign after the CPI-M named him a candidate for the Kollam assembly seat.

"It was the party (CPI-M) which asked me to stand for the elections, and I accepted," Mukesh told newspersons Thursday in Palakkad.

On Wednesday, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Democratic Front announced the candidature of Mukesh, 60, from the Kollam assembly constituency.

The nomination of Mukesh, who hails from Kollam, located 70 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, was announced after several rounds of discussion.

In his more than three decades of film career, he has acted in more than 250 films and has mostly played character roles. He played comedy roles in the early part of his career.

His popular films include "Odaruthammava Aalariyam" (1984), "Boeing Boeing", "Malappuram Haji Mahanaya Joji", "Hitler", "Friends", to name a few.

Mukesh's late father O. Madhavan was a well-known Communist besides being a professional theatre artiste and writer, while his mother Vijayakumari was an actress.

The Kollam seat is at present represented by veteran CPI-M trade union leader and former minister P.K. Gurudasan. It was after several rounds of talks at various levels that the CPI-M was able to convince the veteran to make way for Mukesh.

Mukesh, who separated from his actor wife Saritha a few years back, is now married to danseuse Methil Devika.

"Mukesh is very careful and does not do anything without a strong conviction. I am happy that he has been selected as the candidate," said Devika, who is to campaign for her husband.

The Congress is yet to finalise its list for the state polls.

Kerala goes to the polls on May 16 for the 140 assembly seats.