Veteran Malayalam actor Sreenivasan dies at 69

Sreenivasan, the acclaimed Malayalam actor, screenwriter, director, and producer — and one of the most influential creative voices in the industry — passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. He had been receiving treatment at his home in Udayamperoor, near Kochi, for a long-standing illness.

He breathed his last at Trippunithura Taluk Hospital, where he had been battling age-related and long-term health complications for an extended period.

Over a distinguished career spanning nearly five decades, Sreenivasan became a towering figure in Malayalam cinema, celebrated for his sharp humour, incisive social satire, and deeply relatable characters.

Appearing in nearly 225 films, he shone equally as a comedian and a leading man, bringing the flawed everyman to life with rare authenticity and warmth.

Sreenivasan’s influence was particularly transformative as a screenwriter. He penned some of Malayalam cinema’s most enduring classics, including Nadodikkattu, Udayananu Tharam, TP Balagopalan MA, Gandhinagar Second Street, Thalayana Manthram, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, and Njan Prakashan. His scripts combined humour with pointed social commentary, tackling middle-class anxieties, bureaucracy, and hypocrisy.

Among his most celebrated works was the 1991 political satire Sandesham, a fearless critique of political opportunism and ideological rigidity that remains relevant across generations.

As a director, Sreenivasan demonstrated equal mastery. Films like Vadakkunokkiyanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, which he both wrote and directed, won State and National Film Awards, highlighting his command over storytelling, performance, and social insight.

Sreenivasan is survived by his wife, Vimala, and sons Vineeth Sreenivasan, an acclaimed director, actor, and singer, and Dhyan Sreenivasan, a popular actor.

His passing is a profound loss for Malayalam cinema, taking away a conscience-keeper whose wit, warmth, and wisdom left an indelible mark on both the industry and its audience. Tributes and condolences have begun pouring in from all corners of society.