Kalabhavan Aby – Malayalam Actor & Mimicry Artist

Kalabhavan Aby was a popular Malayalam actor, mimicry & dubbing artist and standup comedian. He has been active in the film industry and also stage performances since early 1990s, and is known for his association with Nadirshah and Dileep, who released a series of parody cassettes in a row. He spent two decades in the film industry, yet he failed to reach the career heights of his colleagues – Nadirshah and Dileep. Nayam Vyakthamakkunnu in 1991 was his debut flick and Thrissivaperoor Kliptham in 2017 was his last release.

One of the pioneers of Malayalam mimicry industry, Aby’s real name is Habeeb Mohammed. Since young he used to imitate voices of animals and was not much interested in studies. It was his uncle’s idea to encourage him in the field of mimics as he felt it could be a better career option to him, and Aby proved it true. His career in stage shows paved way to films as well, and has been a part of several small budget movies with ensemble cast. But he got sidelined later. He passed away at a comparatively young age of 52 in 2017 soon after he made a comeback to films after a small break.

Aby – Some Interesting Facts

1. Malayalam mimicry artists like Alappey Ashraf and Pattom Sadan were his early inspirations in mimics.

2. He was one of the leading artists of Kalabhavan mimicry troupe in the 1990s.

3. During his childhood days he used to watch films without his parents’ knowledge. He was a movie buff.

4. He was a singer and was also interested in drawing.

5. He studied Food Inspection course in Mumbai, and his career as a mimicry artist started by imitating Hindi stars. He also started a troupe Saagar when he returned to Kerala after 4 years of stay in Mumbai.

6. His son Shane Nigam is a popular young actor best known for the lead roles in Malayalam flicks – Kismat, Parava, Eeda, Kumbalangi Nights etc.