When he walked beside late actor Shoba, his tousled hair ruffled further by the wind blowing across the riverbed to the background score ‘Poovannam Pola Nenjam’ in the movie Azhiyatha Kolangal, Prathap Pothen indeed was seen as a whiff of fresh air.
Every one who saw that film could not have helped thinking: here’s another hero with a long career ahead. It was late director Balu Mahendra who introduced him in Tamil in the movie, after his splendid role in Bharathan’s Malayalam film Thakara, which was much later remade in Tamil as Aavarampoo.
“He represented a transition in the Tamil film world. He wore jeans and dungarees. He was well-read and watched world movies; he was an intellectual and had an extraordinary sense of humour,” recalled director K. Rajeshwar to whom Prathap Pothen recently gave an advance of ₹10,000 for writing the story for his next film.
