Actor Kalabhavan Navas Found Dead in Hotel Room, Poilce Steps In

Malayalam actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Navas was found dead in a hotel room near Chottanikkara on Friday night. He was 51. Navas was in town for the shoot of an upcoming film and was reportedly preparing to check out of his hotel room when tragedy struck.

According to sources, hotel staff discovered him unresponsive and immediately alerted authorities. Though he was rushed to a nearby hospital, doctors declared him brought dead. Preliminary investigations suggest cardiac arrest as the likely cause. His body has been sent for postmortem, and the remains will be handed over to the family after the autopsy on Saturday.

Navas began his career in the performing arts as a mimicry artist with the renowned Kalabhavan troupe and made his film debut in 1995 with Chaithanyam. He quickly rose to fame for his comic timing in popular Malayalam films such as Mattupetti Machan, My Dear Karadi, Junior Mandrake, and Chandamama.

Although his film appearances became sporadic in recent years, Navas had remained active and was gearing up for a comeback. He recently wrapped up work on Prakambanam and was also part of the upcoming film Tiki Taka. His last on-screen appearance was a brief role in Detective Ujjwalan.

He is survived by his wife Rehana and their three children. Navas came from a family deeply connected to the performing arts—his father Aboobacker was a respected theatre artist and actor, his brother Kalabhavan Niyas is also an actor, and his daughter Naharin made her film debut in 2021 with Confessions of a Cuckoo.

Fans and colleagues across the Malayalam film industry have expressed shock and grief over his untimely demise.