Sreenivasan, a towering presence in Malayalam cinema as an actor, writer and filmmaker, passed away on Saturday, leaving behind a body of work that shaped the social and comic conscience of the industry for over four decades. He was 69. The actor was being taken for dialysis when he experienced physical distress and was admitted to the Tripunithura taluk hospital. He died there at 8.30 am. His body has been kept at the taluk hospital. Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
Born on April 6, 1956, in Patyam near Thalassery in Kerala’s Kannur district, Sreenivasan emerged as one of the most influential voices in Malayalam cinema, known for blending sharp social satire with accessible storytelling. Over a career spanning nearly five decades, he acted in more than 225 films and wrote some of Malayalam cinema’s most enduring screenplays.
Sreenivasan’s writing credits include classics such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Nadodikkattu, Pattanapravesham, Varavelpu, Thalayana Manthram, Sandesam, Midhunam, Mazhayethum Munpe, Azhakiya Ravanan, Oru Maravathoor Kanavu, Udayananu Tharam, Katha Parayumpol and Njan Prakashan, the latter ranking among the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time. His screenplays were widely noted for their wit, political insight and moral clarity.
As a filmmaker, he scripted and directed Vadakkunokkiyanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala. Vadakkunokkiyanthram won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, while Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala earned the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues, along with recognition as Best Popular Film at the Kerala State Film Awards.
Sreenivasan received numerous honours over his career, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards South and six Kerala State Film Awards. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay for Sandesam and Mazhayethum Munpe. A frequent collaborator of directors Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad and Kamal, Sreenivasan played a central role in shaping the golden era of Malayalam comedy and social drama. His performances, often portraying the common man, were marked by restraint, realism and quiet irony.
He made his acting debut in P A Backer’s Manimuzhakkam in 1976, with his first lead role coming in Sanghaganam in 1979. His formal training at the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu in Chennai helped lay the foundation for a career that seamlessly bridged writing, acting and direction.
Beyond cinema, Sreenivasan was also a producer, co-producing Katha Parayumpol and Thattathin Marayathu under the Lumiere Film Company with actor Mukesh. He is survived by his wife Vimala Sreenivasan and two sons, Vineeth Sreenivasan, a singer, actor, director and producer, and Dhyan Sreenivasan, an actor, director and producer.
