Veteran Malayalam film personality Sreenivasan, whose multifaceted contributions as an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer reshaped mainstream cinema in Kerala, passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. He had been receiving medical care at his home in Udayamperoor while battling a prolonged illness. As his condition worsened, he was shifted to a hospital in Thrippunithura, where he breathed his last. With a career extending close to five decades, Sreenivasan acted in over 225 films and became widely admired for seamlessly blending sharp humour with meaningful social commentary that resonated strongly with audiences across generations.
Renowned as a writer, Sreenivasan penned several landmark Malayalam films such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam, Sandesam, Nadodikkattu, and Njan Prakashan, which left a lasting cultural impact. As a director, his films Vadakkunokkiyanthram and Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala earned acclaim for their empathetic portrayal of middle-class realities. Born in Patyam near Thalassery in Kannur district, he grew up in a humble family with two brothers and a sister. He studied in Kuthuparamba and Kadirur, completed an economics degree from PRNSS College, Mattanur, and later trained at the Film and Television Institute of Tamil Nadu in Chennai in 1977.