Veteran actor and MLA Mukesh on Friday shared deeply personal memories of his 43-year-long relationship with actor, screenwriter and director Sreenivasan, who passed away on Saturday, calling him ‘irreplaceable’ both in cinema and in life.

“When I started my career, I never dreamed of stardom but the only desire was to be around great minds, share jokes and carry those moments back home. Looking back today, what gives me the greatest happiness is not success or longevity, but the joy of sharing love, humour, thoughts and observations with the people around me. In that journey, Sreenivasan played the most important role,” said an emotional Mukesh.

Mukesh recalled meeting Sreenivasan during the filming of Odaruthammava Aalariyam, directed by Priyadarshan. At the time, Priyadarshan reportedly had reservations about Mukesh, seeing him primarily as a theatre actor. It was Sreenivasan who openly vouched for him.

“Sreeni told Priyan clearly that he was mistaken. He belongs here. He has the wavelength. A few days later, Priyan put his arm around my shoulder and admitted he had misunderstood me. That moment shaped everything that followed,” Mukesh recalled.