Malayalam Cinema Legend Sreenivasan Dies At 69

Veteran actor, writer, filmmaker and producer Sreenivasan, one of the most influential creative voices in Malayalam cinema, died on Saturday, leaving the industry in deep mourning.

Spanning over four decades, Sreenivasan had significantly shaped the social, political, and comedic conscience of Malayalam films like few others.

Sreenivasan was a towering presence as a screenwriter who brought sharp satire, everyday realism and fearless political commentary to the screen.

He acted in over 225 films and wrote some of Malayalam cinema’s most iconic screenplays, including Odaruthammava Aalariyam, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Nadodikkattu, Pattanapravesham, Varavelpu, Thalayana Manthram, Sandesam, Midhunam, Mazhayethum Munpe, Azhakiya Ravanan, Oru Maravathoor Kanavu, Udayananu Tharam, Katha Parayumpol, and Njan Prakashan, one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.

As a filmmaker, he directed Vadakkunokkiyanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, both of which earned major state and national honours.

Vadakkunokkiyanthram won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, while Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

Born in Patyam near Thalassery in 1956, Kannur, Sreenivasan studied economics before training at the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu.

He made his acting debut in Manimuzhakkam (1976) and gradually became the voice of the common man on screen. He frequently collaborated with filmmakers like Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad, and Kamal, creating timeless classics that balanced humour with sharp social insight.

Sreenivasan was also a successful producer under the banner Lumiere Film Company, co-producing films such as Katha Parayumpol and Thattathin Marayathu. He received numerous honours, including a National Film Award, Filmfare Awards South, and multiple Kerala State Film Awards, besides lifetime achievement recognitions.

He is survived by his wife Vimala, sons Vineeth Sreenivasan and Dhyan Sreenivasan, both prominent figures in Malayalam cinema today.