Kerala on Wednesday bid a tearful adieu to renowned actor and director Cochin Haneefa whose mortal remains were interred at the Central Juma Masjid here, with state honours on Wednesday evening.
People from all walks of life including film personalities, politicians and cultural leaders turned up to pay homage to the actor as the body was brought for funeral prayers.
Many were seen wiping their tears when the body was lowered into the crypt after the funeral prayers with police playing the last post and offering gun salute in honour of the departed actor.
Earlier in the morning, the body of Haneefa, who died in a private hospital at Chennai on Tuesday, was brought to Kochi, where the actor was born and brought up.
The body was kept at his residence in Pullepady in the city and later it was placed at the Ambedkar Stadium here for the people to pay homage. Haneefa had acted in over 300 films including Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi.
Kerala Ministers S. Sarma and Jose Thettayil and a host of film stars including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, Dileep, Sarathkumar and Siddique paid their last respects when the body was brought to his house in the morning.
“It is a great loss for the film industry. Haneefa was one of my close friends. I have no words. The film industry has lost a great human being’, Mr. Mammooty said.
