A heartwarming tale of enduring friendship recently came to light when Indian film actor Azees Nedumangad, who once worked in Bahrain, returned to the kingdom and reunited with a former colleague ... after nearly two decades apart.
The 40-year-old Malayalam actor – now a star of several blockbuster films and part of the cast of the Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light – had previously worked in a shop selling nuts and spices in the bustling lanes of Manama Suq.
Mr Nedumangad recently visited Manama and in a nostalgic gesture, shared a video of himself walking through the narrow lanes of the suq, where he surprised his old friend by appearing in disguise, wearing a mask.
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The emotional reunion marked their first meeting since they last worked together in 2007, leaving his former colleague delighted and overwhelmed.
“After 18 years, I went to the shop where I worked in Bahrain. The friend I worked with is still there. I was very happy to see him,” the actor said in a post on Instagram.
The friend, Sidheeq Kozhukkal, can be seen in the video visibly overjoyed inside his store, Seashil Foodstuff.
The two share an emotional embrace, laughing and asking about each other’s wellbeing.
“I cannot tell you how I felt at that moment, I quickly hugged him,” Mr Kozhukkal said, as he spoke to the GDN.
The 42-year-old then reminisced about the times he spent working with the popular actor.
“It was the three of us that were close friends – Azees, Rashid Puthiyaduth and Sidheeq. We spent all our time together, sharing stories and jokes during our downtime at the store.”
According to the expat, the young artist’s talent was evident even back then.
“He was always performing comedy and mimicry for us, and we could recognise how gifted he was,” Mr Kozhukkal said.
Mr Nedumangad eventually left Bahrain, and over time, the two lost touch. They would speak on the phone sometimes, but as the actor’s life got busier they couldn’t keep in touch.
“It has been 10 years since I last spoke to him,” Mr Kozhukkal said.
The Manama resident, who has been living in the country for 20 years now, however, followed the artist’s rise to fame through comedic performances on reality television shows and later films.
Today, the actor’s filmography includes the 2021 action-comedy Minnal Murali and the recent sleeper-hit Kalamkaval, where he stars alongside Malayalam superstar Mammootty.
He plays a soft spoken doctor in the 2024 film All We
Imagine As Light, which went on to bag the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival.
But for Mr Kozhukkal, the actor remains the same old friend he once joked around with.
“I told him how happy I was that he came looking for me after all these years,” he said, his voice strained with emotion.
He hopes his friend would visit him again, and is glad that they have rekindled their friendship after so long.
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