Malayalam film icon Sreenivasan no more: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor Arlekar and other political figures offer tributes

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], December 20 : Veteran Malayalam film icon Sreenivasan - an acclaimed actor, screenwriter, director and producer - passed away on Saturday, marking the end of a remarkable career that spanned decades, playing a key role in shaping the landscape of Malayalam cinema.

News of Sreenivasan's passing triggered a profound wave of grief, with political figures offering heartfelt tributes on social media.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered his tributes and honoured Sreenivasan's cinematic legacy.

"The passing of Sreenivasan is an irreparable loss to Malayalam cinema. What we are losing is a talent who rose to leading positions across every domain of filmmaking. Very few filmmakers have succeeded, as he did, in bringing the life of the common man to the silver screen and in guiding the audience, through humour and reflection, to levels of awareness he intended. Sreenivasan stepped into cinema by breaking several long standing conventions," CM Vijayan said, as per a press release from the Chief Minister's Office.

The CM fondly reflected on Sreenivasan's contributions to Malayalam cinema and added, "Spanning story, screenplay, direction and acting, Sreenivasan worked across multiple fields and, in each of them, established his individuality in an extraordinary way. Many characters from his films will remain etched in the Malayali psyche forever."

Describing the actor's passing as a "personal loss" for him, CM Pinarayi Vijayan recalled having a warm conversation with Sreenivasan.

"Sreenivasan, who maintained a heartfelt personal closeness, came across as a symbol of affection and friendship," the statement read.

Among others, Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar condoled the veteran actor's passing and said, "His iconic performances and timeless contributions will be remembered forever. Condolences to his bereaved family. May his soul attain mukti."

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Kerala Minister for General Education and Labour, V Sivankutty, says, "The 'Sri' of Malayalam cinema fades away; heartfelt tributes to beloved Srinivasan. The demise of beloved Srinivasan is one of the greatest losses Malayalam cinema has ever suffered."

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Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, in a statement, added, "He was a rare talent who conveyed socially conscious themes to the people through simple and deeply touching presentations. Through his art, he powerfully portrayed the struggles and hopes of ordinary people. Blending humour and criticism alike, his contributions that influenced society will remain forever memorable in the history of Malayalam cinema. Even time itself will not be able to fill the void created by his demise at this moment of grief."

CPI(M) MLA and actor Mukesh, during an interaction with the media, spoke about his strong friendship with Sreenivasan.

"He has a nature of speaking frankly and openly. He never makes any compromises when it comes to cinema. Not even once have I had even a minor misunderstanding with Sreenivasan. Even Sreenivasan's laughter has a uniqueness of its own. I had expressed my wish that we should produce a film together, and that is how the film 'Katha Parayumpol' was jointly produced. The moments spent with Sreenivasan are golden moments. Even the criticism in his films was laced with humour," he said.

Veteran Malayalam actor, screenwriter, director and producer Sreenivasan passed away on Saturday at the age of 69.

Speaking to the media, actor and screenwriter Renji Panicker shared that Sreenivasan's mortal remains will be taken to his residence and later to the Town Hall for the public to pay homage.

Public viewing is set to be held at 1 PM.

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