Gopynathan Velayudhan Nair (2 November 1937 – 29 January 2008), was an Indian actor, director, and producer, commonly known as Bharat Gopi.
Early Life
Gopynathan Velayudhan Nair was born on 2 November 1937, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He got his BSc. Degree from University College, Thiruvananthapuram. After his studies, he worked for the Kerala Electricity Board as a Lower Division Clerk.
Prasadhana Little Theatres is where he got his start in theatre. Through the Chitralekha Film Society, which was started by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, he got into films. The first movie Gopi starred in was Adoor’s 1972 movie Swayamvaram. In 1977, he won a National Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Kodiyettam, also directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
Malayalam movies he acted in were made by directors like G Aravindan, Padmarajan, and K G George. A couple of his Hindi films were Satah Se Uthata Aadmi, directed by Mani Kaul. He played a trade union leader in Govind Nihalani’s ‘Aghat’ movie. He was known for his roles in movies such as Ormakkayi, Yavanika, Panchavadi Palam, and Adaminte Vaariyellu.
A movie called Njattadi, with Murali in the lead, was directed by Gopi, in 1979. He directed three more movies after this one. His film Yamanam, about a physically challenged person, won the National Award Jury in 1991 for Best Film on Social Issues.
He last appeared in Balachandra Menon’s De Ingottu Nokkiye (2008).
He’s also the author of the book Abhinayam Anubhavam, which won a National Book Award for outstanding book on film in 1994.
Awards
In 1995, he won a Special Jury Award at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival, Tokyo. In 1991, he received the Padma Shri, the fourth highest award of India.
Death
He was hospitalized with chest pain on 24 January 2008. A few days later he died of a heart attack.
He died on 29 January 2008, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
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