Malayalam actor-mimicry artist Kalabhavan Haneef passes away
Kochi (PTI): Well-known actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Haneef died at a private hospital on Thursday here following a brief illness, industry sources said.
Haneef (63) had been under treatment at the hospital for some days, they said.
Hailing from Mattancherry near here, Haneef entered tinsel town through his mimicry performances.
He was a member of Kalabhavan, the famed performance troupe, which has played a key role in popularising the art form of mimicry in Kerala.
Like many of his co-artists in Kalabhavan, Haneefa also entered the world of cinema through a comic role. 'Cheppukilukkana Changathi' was his first movie.
He later acted in over 300 movies, the majority of them in humorous roles, in his years-long career in the film industry.
He also tried his luck in television serials and stage shows.
The Jude Anthony-directed film, '2018', was one of the latest movies in which the actor appeared.
Haneef is survived by his wife and two children.
Superstar Mammootty and Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan were among those who condoled the demise of the actor.
In a Facebook post, the minister said Haneef's spontaneous acting skills and dialogue delivery made his roles memorable.
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Telangana CM urges Amit Shah to increase sanctioned strength of IPS officers in state
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Wednesday night and urged him to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state in view of its growing administrative and security needs.
The two leaders also discussed the recent surrender of several senior Maoist leaders before the Telangana Police and other issues.
"During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the issue of Maoist surrenders and their rehabilitation. The chief minister informed Shah that significant improvements in policing have taken place in Telangana over the past two years," an official release here said.
Highlighting that 591 Maoists have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream of society during this period, the chief minister said the state government was providing them compensation and rehabilitation assistance as per the rules.
He requested the Union home minister to extend financial support from the central government for development works in the backward regions of the state.
Reddy also urged Shah to increase the sanctioned strength of IPS officers to the state from 83 to 105 in line with the state's growing administrative and security needs, the statement said.
The first cadre review after the formation of Telangana was conducted in 2016, while the next review, due in 2021, was delayed and finally carried out in 2025. Even then, only seven additional IPS officers were allocated to the state, the chief minister informed Shah and requested that the third cadre review be conducted in 2026 as per the schedule.
Reddy explained that Telangana, like the rest of the country, is facing several modern challenges, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, white-collar crimes, and other emerging security threats.
He highlighted the reorganisation of the Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Malkajgiri Police Commissionerates, the proposed formation of the Future City Commissionerate and the rapidly growing population in Hyderabad to underline the increasing administrative requirements of the state.
