Malayalam Actor Kalabhavan Navas Found Dead In Kochi Hotel Room; Cardiac Arrest Suspected

Malayalam film actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Navas was found dead in a hotel in Chottanikkara. The incident came to light when the staff of the hotel, where Navas (51) was staying for a film shoot, alerted authorities. 

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, police said. Police suspect he suffered a cardiac arrest. According to the police, no suspicious items were found in his room. His body, currently kept at SD Tata Hospital in Chottanikkara, will be handed over to his family after the autopsy on Saturday.

Navas was widely known for his comedic and supporting roles in several Malayalam films, including Mattupetti Machan, Junior Mandrake, and Amma Ammayi Amma. He began his career as a mimicry artist with the famed Kalabhavan troupe, which brought him early recognition. His film debut came in 1995 with Chaithanyam.

Beyond cinema, Navas was active in television and frequently performed at stage events across the state. He came from a family deeply rooted in the performing arts — his late father, Aboobacker, was a noted theatre artist and actor. His wife, Rehana, and brother, Kalabhavan Niyas, are also actors. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a Facebook post, expressed grief over Navas’s untimely demise.