Film fraternity bids adieu to Cochin Haneefa

Renowned actor and director Cochin Haneefa, who died in a private hospital at Chennai on Tuesday, was interred on Wednesday evening at the Central Juma Masjid at Broadway, Kochi with full state honours. People from all walks of life turned up to pay homage to the actor as the body was brought for funeral prayers. Many were seen wiping their tears when the body was lowered into the ground after the funeral prayers with police playing the last post and offering gun salute in honour of the departed actor. Earlier in the morning, the body of Haneefa was brought to Kochi, where the actor was born and brought up. The body was kept at his residence in Pullepady in the city and later, it was placed at the Ambedkar Stadium for the people to pay homage. Kerala Ministers S. Sarma and Jose Thettayil and a host of film stars, including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, Dileep, Sarathkumar and Siddique paid their last respects when the body was brought to his house in the morning. It is a great loss for the film industry. Haneefa was one of my close friends. I have no words. The film industry has lost a great human being, Mammootty said. Haneefa is survived by his wife Fazila and twin daughters Safa and Marwa.