With the passing of Thomas Burleigh Kurishingal, Kochi loses a multi-faceted talent

Thomas Burleigh Kurishingal

Kochi lost a multi-faceted talent with the passing of the veteran actor-director Thomas Burleigh Kurishingal at the age of 92.

His funeral will be held at the Santa Cruz Basilica cemetery at Veli, Fort Kochi, on Thursday, December 19, according to family members. Popular for the cowboy roles that he had played in television serials and Hollywood movies, he died here on December 16 after being treated for age-related ailments at a private hospital.

Born on September 1, 1932, he had a passion for acting from childhood and entered tinsel town at the age of 20 as he played the lead role in the movie Thiramala released in 1953. Though his acting career was followed by small roles later, he was undeterred and left Kerala in 1957 to follow his Hollywood dreams and joined the University of California to study Motion Pictures. He was taught by renowned actors and filmmakers that included Nancy Reagan.

He had also acted in the film Never So Few with Frank Sinatra and Gina Lollobrigidia. He starred in Wanted Dead or Alive, Have Gun , Will Travel, Gun Smoke and such. His directorial ventures included Ithu Manushyano and Velarikkapattanam. Apart from his passion for acting and direction, he was a writer, cartoonist, and musician. His last outing as an actor was in Double Barrel directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, which was released in 2015.