Actor Jagannatha Varma cremated as hundreds bid adieu in Kerala's Cherthala

ALAPPUZHA: Hundreds of people from various walks of life on Wednesday bid adieu to veteran actor Jagannatha Varma, who died on Tuesday morning. His mortal remains were consigned to flames with state honours on the premises of his ancestral home Kattunkal Kovilakam at Varanadu in Cherthala. His son actor Manu Varma lit the funeral pyre.
Former Union minister Vayalar Ravi, film personalities like R Jayan, Babu Namboothiri, Sudheer, P Balachandran, Yavanika Gopalakrishnan, Baiju Kalasala, Vayalar Sarath Chadra Varma, Rajeev Alunkal and Jagannatha Varma’s son-in-law Viji Thampi also paid last respects to the departed actor.
Varma, who played the roles of a kathakali artist, police officer and film actor with ease in real life, died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. He was 77. Varma was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia two days ago. He suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday morning and his death was confirmed around 8.30am.
His body was brought to Cherthala on Tuesday. The cremation was fixed at 11 am on Wednesday. But his son Manu Varma faced health issues and the cremation was held after half an hour. When Manu Varma was encircling the pyre, he fainted. Following it, his relatives took him and asked him to take rest. After some time, he came back and lit the funeral pyre.