Sathyan Anthikad remembers Innocent on 2nd death anniversary...'I still feel it when phone rings'

On the second death anniversary of actor Innocent, director Sathyan Anthikad shared a heartfelt note reminiscing about their bond. He recalled how, whenever he and actor Sreenivasan found themselves stuck while writing a script, they would instinctively head to Innocent’s home. No matter the crisis, Innocent always had the perfect remedy, Sathyan wrote on Facebook, posting the note alongside a picture of them together.

Marking Innocent’s second death anniversary on Wednesday, Sathyan mentioned that he had spoken with Sreenivasan and that even now, they find it hard to believe that Innocent is no longer with them. "Even today, when the phone rings early in the morning, for a moment, I wonder—could it be Innocent?" he wrote.

Sathyan Anthikad’s Facebook post

"It has been two years since Innocent left us. Last night, I had a long conversation with Sreenivasan—mostly about Innocent. As we spoke, Sreenivasan’s voice started to tremble, and I quickly changed the subject. Even now, we struggle to accept that Innocent is no longer with us.

Whenever we got stuck while writing a script, Sreenivasan and I would get into a car and drive to Irinjalakuda. Innocent always had the solution to every problem. He was a treasure trove of experiences. His life itself was a textbook—one page from it was enough to overcome any creative block.

During the shoot of my new film, Mohanlal asked me, ‘Sathyan, without Innocent, and now without Mamukkoya, Lalitha Chechi and Nedumudi, how will your sets ever feel complete?’

I replied, ‘Their spirit and blessings are always with us. That is enough.’ That is the only way we can console ourselves now.

Even today, when the phone rings at dawn, I feel, just for a fleeting second, that it might be him. And now, even that feeling has turned two years old."