It is very clear that not easy to write anything about this Malayalam  actor Shri.Bharat Gopi (V. Gopinathan Nair), who passed away at Trivandrum, in Kerala State, Southern India on 29th January, 2008.

He was 71 year at the time  for all time removal of his make up from his life, as admitted him to a private hospital two days ago, after he suffered a heart attack while on a shooting location in Alappuzha district, under the direction of Mr. Balachandra Menon's new film "INGOTTU NOKKIKKE".

Mr. Gopi who worked for the Kerala State Electricity Board in his early days.

He is not all a professional actor but his love was in the Dramastage and he himself associated with the great stage directors like C N Sreekantan Nair, Kavalam Narayana Paniker and G Sankara Pillai.

His  interest and ambition turned him from Drama to Celluloid through the Chitraleka Film Society, started by Adoor Gopalakrishnan (Famous Malayalam Film Director).

After become an actor in his words "It was not really to show glamour or make money that drew me to theatre and cinema but a passion for both the art forms."

His initiation into films was through a very minute role in Adoor's first film, Swayamvaram. He was there only for a couple of minutes but the impact of his frustrated face was so strong that he was immediately noticed.

The Guardian carried a story on him under the title The face of unemployment. He was an unemployed youth in the film.

Mr. Gopi played lead role in Adoor's next film Kodiyettam in 1977, who wandeing around the temples and festivals without caring about his own home, wife or other duties. This was his second film, and he won the National Award --called Bharat award in those days -- The best actor.

Mr.Gopi  become a breath of  'art' films made by people like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and the late G Aravindan, and also of the 'middle stream cinema' like Bhartan, K G George and Padmarajan.

Bharat Gopi acted in Mani Kaul's Satah Se Udta aadmiand Govind Nihalani's Aghat too.

Later Mr. Gopi started appearing in commercial films too.

To think about his personality as thin, bald as an hero! But his damn serious performance in K.G.George's Yavanika, even today, all time talk about Mr. Gopi about his role as tabla player in that film  more perfection than Mr. Mammootty the police officer (Mr. Mammooty also a valuable actor for Malayalam Film Industry).

Mr. Gopi  was not at all an ordinary performer but a worth and an essential part of Malayalam Cinema. For his role in in Yavanika, he learnt Tabla.

His perfect belief about an actor, an actor should know what are the contents of his perfection and even each and very minute points which never to be loose.

"In his body language a character does not go inside the actor, actor select the character to perform the best. A real fact is he takes the character inside him and audience see the actor and not the character."

Best actor of Kerala state award  in four times and also won an honour of the 30th Asia Pacific Film Festival for his performance as an English professor in Bharatan's Kaattathe Kilikoodu.

In Paris, French government honoured him as  accorded to select artistes like Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi at that time.

February 1986, he collapsed on the sets and paralysed on one side. A brilliant career came to an end in that one moment.

Slowly, he came back to life and went on to direct Ulsavapittennu. A best film.

His second film Yamanam, partly autobiographical, related a  handicapped person won him a national award. He was awarded the Padmashree in 1991.

Sathyan Anhikad's Rasathantram his performance was a differrent style  He played Mohanlal's father.

He joined the political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) recently.

We lost an ideal personality such never come back or live in this universe as an actor.

Awards:

Special Jury award at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival, Tokyo (1985)

National award for the best actor--kodiyettam- 1977.

Five state awards for best actor (1977, 1980 (supporting actor), 1982,1983,1985).

Four filmfare awards.

Four critics awards.

National award for the best film on social issues--Yamanam--1991.

National award for the best book on cinema--Abhinayam Anubhavam.

V. Shantaram award for the producer of the Best film--Padheyam--1991

Awarded Padmasri in 1991.