Sidharth Venugopal passes away: Malayalam TV celebs mourn the demise of their dear colleague

The unfortunate demise of actor Sidharth Venugopal has left the whole Malayalam TV industry in deep agony. The 41-year-old actor had succumbed to death after battling neuroendocrine carcinoma for a couple of years.

Social media is full of tributes for the departed soul."A friend I’ve known since my days working in a salon… I still remember how, when he was about to act in his very first serial, he came to my shop and I styled his hair and beard. Later, he went on to become a well-known actor. As if by fate, I too eventually entered the world of serial acting. We never used to call each other often or share grand moments of friendship, but whenever we met, we would always say that we should work together on something good someday," Santhwanam actor Bijesh penned an emotional note online."I have never seen him without a smile. It’s deeply painful to realize that I will never see that smile in person again. There was always a hope that we would meet again somewhere, someday. Now, that hope is gone. But dear friend, those old memories will never die. Leaving your dreams behind, you have taken your journey… Someday, we will meet again," reads his note.

Sharing a throwback picture with Sidharth, actor Keerthi Gopinath also penned an emotional tribute on Instagram.

"I still can’t believe that you’ve left us, brother… The days we acted together, the laughter, the conversations, every little thing you did — all of it still lives vividly in my heart. Why did you leave us so soon? Not just for me… anyone who has spent even a moment with you cannot bear this news of your passing. Until my very last day, you will remain as a deep ache within me. May your soul rest in eternal peace," he wrote.

Actress Beena Anthony, who played Sidharth's on-screen mother in Kasthooriman has paid tribute too."Sidhu… my dear boy, I still can’t believe that you are no longer on this earth… When we acted together as mother and son, you would often tell me that in many scenes, you truly felt like I was your own mother. Oh God… I can’t bear this… Sidhu… all I have are prayers soaked in tears for you, my child… May God give your family the strength to endure this loss," she wrote.