Actor Salim Kumar.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
National Award-winning actor-turned-writer-director and acclaimed mimicry artiste Salim Kumar passed away due to cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kerala on June 6, 2026.Widely regarded as one of the most known faces from Malayalam cinema, Kumar was rushed to the hospital with fever and shortness of breath, and was immediately placed on ventilator support. People from all walks of life kept pouring into the hospital through the night as soon as his demise was confirmed. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan who remembered Salim Kumar as his own “brother” said that he was at short of words to mourn the actor, who was like a member of his own family.Kumar’s off-screen persona and easy-going approach to life probably made him a favourite with meme creators. He often joked that he had been “killed” more than 15 times citing fake news reports about his demise. That summed up Salim Kumar— a man who could laugh even about his own rumoured death. Published - June 07, 2026 03:00 pm IST
