Popular director actor Cochin Haneefa who was hospitalized at Ramachandra Hospital in Chennai for a liver problem after he had a massive heart attack this morning has passed away at 3.30 pm. He is 59.The body will be flown to Cochin tomorrow evening.The burial ceremonies will take place at Central Juma Masjid.He was admitted 4 days ago and his condition worsened today morning and was put on ventilator.
Haneefa was born on April 22, 1951 as Salim Ahmed Ghouse. He had a degree in Botany. He became known as Cochin Haneefa after he joined Cochin Kalabhavan, a theatre group. The name Haneefa came from a character he essayed in a play while with the group.
He made his debut in films with a role in Ashtavakran in 1979 and went to act in about 300 Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films. Though he has acted as a villain in some movies, it was as a comedian that he made a mark and won the hearts of fans. His mere presence on the screen was enough to send the audience into laughter. As a director, he is known for the melodrama, Vatsalyam, 1993.He was seen last in the malayalam movie Bodyguard.
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