Kerala bids tearful adieu to young director Rajesh Pillai

Thiruvananthapuram: One of Kerala’s promising young movie directors, Rajesh Pillai, was given a tearful farewell on Sunday in Kochi by a large crowd comprising stalwarts from the movie field and numerous fans and well-wishers. The final rites were conducted at the Ravipuram cemetery in Kochi.

The 41-year-old director who shot to fame by directing the movie, ‘Traffic’, succumbed to non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis at a hospital in Kochi on Saturday morning. His end came hours after his latest movie, ‘Vetta’ (the hunt) was released in theatres in Kerala on Friday.

Rajesh Pillai is the son of professor K. Raman Pillai, a former head of the political science department of the Kerala University, and the late Subhadra. He leaves behind his wife Meghna.

Ironically, while Pillai’s movie ‘Traffic’ highlighted the importance of organ donation, the director himself could not give enough attention to his health, particularly for healthy eating habits. Doctors had long advised him to undergo liver transplantation, but the director kept postponing the treatment owing to his hectic schedule.

Following the popularity of Traffic, the organ donation move got a big boost in Kerala with several people deciding to donate organs of their close family members who passed away, and scores of others signing documents to donate their organs when they die.

His wife, father and sister were by his side at the time of his death. Also at the hospital were film actors, Mammootty, Nivin Pauly and Kunchacko Boban, and directors Siddique and Sibi Malayil.

Pillai’s first movie was ‘Hrudayathil Sookshikkaan’ (to preserve in the heart) in 2005, but after that his career went into a trough. By his own admission, his career bounced back after he got in touch with the scriptwriting duo of Sanjay and Bobby.

‘Traffic’ put him in the limelight, and the movie was also remade in Hindi and Tamil. Even during that time, cirrhosis was gnawing at his health but the young director who seemed wedded to his profession gave his all for his work, staying away from treatment for his illness.