‘Lollu Sabha actor Seshu died as he couldn’t get Rs 10 lakh for treatment: director Johnson

‘Lollu Sabha actor Seshu died as he couldn’t get Rs 10 lakh for treatment: director Johnson

Tamil comedy actor Seshu passed away on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai. Many film personalities have come forward to express their condolences. Director Johnson of A1 fame has now claimed in an interview that Seshu couldn’t afford his medical treatment, which eventually led to his death.

In an interview with Cinema Viktan, Johnson recalled his time working with Seshu in A1 and Paris Jeyaraj. A1 made Seshu a popular actor in Tamil Nadu. Though the actor was already known for his performances in Lollu Sabha, a parody TV series, Seshu became a mainstream actor after his role in A1. He played an alcoholic, who is a nuisance at the funeral of his relative. His absurd humour turned out to be a high point of the film.

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“I was looking for a Brahmin Iyer who can also speak North Madras Tamil. Seshu was the perfect fit for the role. He was the one who told me about the funeral rituals at Brahmin households, and I did some of them in the film. When the same rituals were performed for Seshu, I couldn’t stand there,” the director said.

Johnson again collaborated with Seshu in his next film Paris Jayaraj, in which the actor played a similar role as in A1. “Whenever I am in a good mood on the sets, I call him Seshu Mama… I laugh invariably whenever I hear ‘Seshu Mama’. While talking with him or whenever one listens to him talk, it will be a funny experience. Also, he is someone who loves giving. If someone needs 25 kgs of rice, he will collect it from all his acquaintances and give it to them. During COVID-19 times, he installed a speaker in his two-wheeler and made announcements about the need for wearing masks.”

He added, “To think such a person couldn’t get help from people when he needed it the most, makes me sad. He died just because he couldn’t get Rs 10 lakhs for the treatment. It is devastating. If big stars had come forward, he could have been saved.”

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