Versatile actor John Kottoly, who was seen in films like 'Manu' and 'Falaknuma Das', is no more. The Tollywood character artiste, who had a theatre background before stepping into movies, died on Tuesday morning due to cardiac arrest.
The middle-aged actor's performances in 'Manu' and a few other movies were critically acclaimed. Seen as a subtle actor, he was always choosy and never accepted all and sundry roles. 'Sainma' (the short film), the Award-winning 'Raktham', etc are among his other movies. Kottoly's last venture was 'GOD', the Telugu-language web-series. His performance in it was spot-on.
Activist and Padma awardee Sunitha Krishnan has expressed shock. "Shocked at the demise of John. This is unimaginable. To John, acting was a passion. He was not enticed by the glamour of the entertainment world. He became an actor because he was devoted to the craft. It was not about money. In our movie 'Raktham', he gave a superb performance on a par with senior actors. Post that movie, he landed a number of opportunities, including in the digital platform. John was associated with a corporate company and was always a workaholic. He is survived by a 9-year-old daughter. It's difficult to imagine the pain of his bereaved family. It was his parents' wedding anniversary today. He was to Church in the morning," she said.
Rajesh Touchriver, the critically-acclaimed filmmaker, said that he knew John for many years. "John was extremely talented and passionate. He knew his craft well. His short films brought out his talent," Touchriver added. He and Sunitha rushed to the departed soul's Kukatpally residence soon after coming to know the sad news.
We condoles the demise of John. May his family have the strength to overcome the grief of his death.
