Joseph, who ‘inherited' the pseudonym ‘Seythan' from his father Anthrayose, who had acquired the name after donning the role of Satan in one of his plays, was at the helm of the Alleppey Theatres troupe
after starting it in 1960 and was known for his Bible-based and social dramas. Joseph, who was a municipal councillor as well, made his debut with the drama ‘Anchu Cent Bhoomi' in 1952. Someone who made the habit of captivating the audience through his direction, acting and presentation style of the play, Joseph however spent his last few years in utter misery.
Having his left leg amputated and confined to the bed, apart from having nothing much in his pocket, Joseph was recently given a financial aid of Rs.1 lakh by the State government after media reports on his suffering. However, he did not live long after that, and passed away at about 2.30 p.m. at his daughter Gracy's residence in the Canal Ward here.
Having been initiated into theatre by his father, Joseph was known initially through plays that he directed and acted in, including ‘Kadalinte Makkal,' ‘Jalolsavam' and ‘Mahanaya Alexander' to name a few, while around 30 Bible dramas like ‘Moses,' ‘Snapaka Yohannan,' ‘Muppathu Vellikashu' and ‘Vishudha Paulose' established him on the stage.
In between, Joseph landed a few small roles in Malayalam movies like ‘Kadalamma,' ‘Bharya,' ‘Postmane Kaananilla' as well, but drama remained his passion and his plays, like the controversial ‘Ancham Thirumurivu' that was staged over 200 times, and about 30 others that conveyed strong social messages, remained popular.