Cochin Haneefa

More than 300 Malayalam films and over 80 in Tamil, among them Mahanadi, Sivaji and Enthiran, make up the acting record of Cochin Haneefa, the actor, director and screenwriter who died on 2 February 2010. He was born Salim Ahmed Ghoush in Kochi on 22 April 1951, graduated in commerce from St. Albert's College, and made his film debut in Vijayan's Azhimukham in 1972. Early on he was cast mostly as a villain. He moved gradually into comedy, while still taking serious supporting parts. Mannar Mathai Speaking, in which he played Eldho, gave him his first noted comic role, and in Kireedam he was the rowdy Hydrose. Punjabi House, where he was Gangadharan, confirmed him as a leading comedian. He often worked with Dileep and Harisree Ashokan, in films such as Udayapuram Sulthan, Ee Parakkum Thalika, Meesa Madhavan, C.I.D. Moosa and Runway. Thrivikraman in Meesa Madhavan, Bhaskaran in Thilakkam and Kalanthan Haji in Kilichundan Mampazham are other remembered roles, and he also appeared in Azhakiya Ravanan (1996). As a director he made about 20 films, among them Aankiliyude Tharattu (1987), Moonu Masangalkku Munbu and Vatsalyam (1993). Madrasapattinam and Enthiran were his last Tamil films, and Body Guard (2010) his final Malayalam one.