Sankaradi may not find a place in the history of Kerala’s Communist movement.
But search for Chandrasekhara Menon and you are sure to come across his services and involvement. Sankaradi was Menon’s family name, one that stuck after he became popular in films.
Born in Cherai as the son of Sankaradi Memana Parameswara Pillai and Thoppil Parambil Janaki Amma in 1924, he completed his schooling from Cherai and Kandassankadavu.
He joined Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam for Intermediate and later enrolled himself for the Marine Engineering course at and engineering college in Baroda.
He was actively involved in the Communist movement during his college days and Baroda fostered this ideology. He came into close contact with the leaders of the movement, many of whom were in hiding at that time. Sankaradi maintained a close relationship with leaders like Chandrakant Azad, Karunakara Menon and Kunnath Balakrishna Menon.
Sankaradi was so involved that it affected his studies and was forced to discontinue. He went to Bombay and managed to find an editorial job with a magazine, Literary Review. Renowned journalist Ramji and the poet Harindranath Chathopadhyaya were his colleagues there. Sankaradi worked tirelessly to organise the Malayalis and draw them to Communism.
When adult suffrage came into force the Communist Party directed its comrades to return to their native places and work there. Sankaradi returned to Ernakulam and became a full-time party worker. The party office then used to function out of a building close to the North Railway Station. P.Gangadharan was the secretary, while E.G. Menon and Sankaradi were appointed office secretaries.
The Party suggested that Sankaradi focus his attention on theatre.
There were three drama troupes at that time, Cultural Association, Thrissur, Prathibha Theatres, Ernakulam, and KPAC, Kayamkulam, which were either managed by the Party or by people with definite Left leanings. P.J. Antony headed Prathibha Theatres and Sankaradi became its secretary. The rehearsal camps were usually held at Antony’s house. The play Inquilabinte Makkal was staged before a massive audience at Azad Theatre, Kaloor, and at TDM Hall. Sankaradi who acted in this play received wide appreciation.
Sankaradi was elected delegate from the cultural wing of the Party for its Palakkad conference. The split in the Party saddened him.
He did not renew his membership after this. Nelson Fernadez, dramatist, says that Sankaradi was a product of P.J. Antony’s acting school. After leaving Prathibha he joined KPAC playing a significant role in the famous play Mooladhanam.
Senior journalist Ravi Kuttikkad feels that Sankaradi made a significant contribution to the growth of the Communist movement in Kochi. When Kunchacko began work on his film Kadalamma, Sankaradi was offered a role. He played Sathyan’s father. There was no looking back for this actor after this. Sankaradi turned out brilliant performances and for a long time was an important ingredient of Malayalam cinema.
He acted in more than 700 films in a wide range of roles winning the Kerala State Film Award twice for the Best Supporting Actor. Sankaradi died on October 9, 2001.