Statue of actor Prem Nazir to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: A life-size statue of Malayalam's ever-green matinee idol Prem Nazir, who set a record by acting in more than 600 movies, is to be set up here.

In view of increasing demands from cultural and film circles, the state government has decided to set up his statue at a suitable spot in the city.

Cultural Affairs minister K C Joseph had informed the state Assembly in a submission yesterday that steps were on to identify a suitable location for erecting the statue of the actor, who dominated Malayalam cinema from 1950s to early '80s.

The government had already sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for the memorial project based on the request submitted by actor Suresh Gopi on behalf of the Trivandrum Film Fraternity, but it had got delayed for finding an ideal site.

The minister said the government would provide enough funds for the memorial.

An all-time superstar of Malayalam, Prem Nazir (Abdul Khader in real life) commanded a great fan following among Malayalis.

A Padma Bhushan awardee, apart from box office hits, Nazir had essayed memorable roles in films like 'Iruttinte Athmavu', 'Kallichellamma', 'Murappennu' and 'Anubhavangal Paalichakal', based on eminent Malayalam literary works.