Debutant Malayalam director Manu James, who was gearing up for the release of his first film Nancy Rani, passed away at a hospital in Aluva in Ernakulam. According to reports, the director was undergoing treatment for hepatitis at the hospital, where he breathed his last. The director was 31. According to the doctors, he was admitted after being diagnosed with pneumonia and died of hepatitis.
His debut directorial venture, Nancy Rani, is slated for a release soon.Manu made his debut as a child actor in director Sabu James's I am Curious. The film was released in theatres in 2004. Years later, he worked as an assistant and co-director in many films in Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.Yesteryear actors including Sreenivasan, Lal, Lena and Indrans were among the celebrities who paid tribute to Manu James