08 June,2026 11:33 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Prithviraj`s wife slams media (Pics/Google Images)
National Award-winning actor Salim Kumar, who entertained generations with his unmatched comic timing, passed away on June 6 after a prolonged battle with health issues. He was cremated with state honours at his residence in North Paravur, Ernakulam, Kerala. At the funeral, his elder son, Chandu, lost his cool at paps as they overcrowded the venue. Now, producer Supriya Menon has come out in his support and called the act of the paps "vulgar."
Viral videos show Chandu lashing out at paps and urging them to give the family space to perform the last rites and grieve. Reacting to the chaos, actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran's wife and film producer Supriya Menon took to Instagram Stories and called the media's conduct vulgar.
She wrote, "Yet again, a family trying to say goodbye to their loved one, a moment fraught with heartbreaking grief and pain. But here again, there is a collection of cameras and mikes jostling to get this final goodbye in close-up, like vultures flying closer and closer to their prey. The son shouting to get some space, asking them to move back so he can cry in peace. What have we become? This voyeuristic urge to consume everything in real time, abandoning all sense of propriety and decorum."
She further added, "Let people grieve in peace; they have enough pain as it is. There ought to be some self-restraint and course correction. This isn't journalism. It's voyeurism! Lurid and vulgar."
Salim Kumar died while undergoing treatment for pneumonia at a private hospital, family sources said. The Government of Kerala confirmed his death in an official statement and expressed "profound grief" over the loss of the veteran actor. His last rites were held in the presence of family members, colleagues, political leaders, and admirers.
He was 56 at the time of his death. Kumar passed away at around 10:43 pm on Saturday. The actor underwent a liver transplant a few years ago. Salim Kumar worked in over 300 films across a career spanning more than three decades. After learning about Salim Kumar's death, several actors, including Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and others, mourned his demise on social media.
