‘A journey you’ll never return from’: Shaju Sreedhar mourns close friend Dileep Shankar

Actor Shaju Sreedhar shared an emotional condolence message for his friend and actor Dileep Shankar, who was found dead at a hotel room in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Shaju recounted a heartfelt memory, revealing that Dileep had called him just three days before his untimely demise, leaving him deeply shaken.

In his message, Shaju wrote, “Every time you called, it was to plan a trip with the family, and we’ve shared so many journeys together. On December 26, when you called, I had no idea, my friend, that it was a journey from which you’d never return. An unbelievable loss. Condolence to my dear friend.”

Dileep Shankar was found dead in his hotel room in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday afternoon. The 50-year-old actor, hailing from Ernakulam, had been staying at the hotel for a serial shoot.

According to the post-mortem report, Shankar’s death was caused by internal bleeding, which authorities believe may have resulted from liver disease or injuries sustained in a fall. 

The actor had checked into the hotel on December 19 and had reportedly not left the room during his stay. Hotel staff discovered the actor’s body after noticing a foul odour coming from his room and alerted the authorities. Police had to break open the locked door to find the actor’s body on the floor. 

The actor was known for his roles in films like ‘Chaappa Kurishu’ and ‘North 24 Kaatham’ and serials including ‘Amma Ariyathe,’ ‘Sundari,’ and ‘Panchagni’.