Sreenivasan worked in Malayalam cinema not only as an actor but also as a screenwriter, director and producer. This legendary artist passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. Reportedly, he had been undergoing treatment for a long time.
Sreenivasan passed away on Saturday, at a hospital in Tripunithura, Ernakulam. He had been ill for quite some time. South Indian actor Prithviraj Sukumaran expressed his condolences on his passing. He posted a story on Instagram, writing, 'Goodbye to one of the greatest actors, writers, directors, and producers of all time. May his soul rest in peace.'
Sreenivasan acted in over 200 films
Sreenivasan acted in more than 225 films during his career. He skillfully portrayed social satire on the big screen. He played a variety of roles on screen. He made a significant contribution to the advancement of Malayalam cinema. Let's have a look at some of his famous films.
Sreenivasan's most talked-about film came 15 odd years after he entered as an actor in Manimuzhakkam, 1976, directed by PA Backer. A diploma holder in acting from the Pune Film Institute where southern superstar Rajinikanth was a fellow student, Sreenivasan acted in a clutch of prominent films such as Mela and Kolangal by KG George and Vilkanundu Swapnangal written by literary giant MT Vasudevan Nair during the 1980s.
Sreenivasan and Priyadarshan
Sreenivasan’s association with director Priyadarshan in the 1980s marked his debut as a writer also. While he acted in Priyadarshan’s slapstick debut Poochaykkoru Mookkuthy (1984), he donned the hat of screenplay writer in the director’s second film Odaruthammava Aalariyam the same year. This marked the beginning of the successful ‘Sreeni-Priyan’ partnership, which for long proved to be a safe bet in the Malayalam film industry.
The very next year, Sreenivasan scripted TP Balagopalan MA, directed by Sathyan Anthikkad. The film won the Kerala State Award for Best Actor for Mohanlal. Thus was born an even bigger hit partnership , the ‘Sreeni-Sathyan-Lal’ trio, that dominated Malayalam cinema during the 1980s and 1990s. The trio went on to create two more evergreen classics the same year with Gandhi Nagar 2nd Street and Sanmanasullavarkku Samadhanam.
Sreenivasan, the author himself!
Thenceforth, Sreenivasan the writer was a far bigger star than Sreenivasan the actor as he reeled off success after success- Nadodikkattu, Pattanapravesham, Thalayanamanthram, Varavelppu, Golantharavartha, and many more. In 1989, he took the mantel of director for the first time in the cult Vadakkunokkiyanthram, which he also wrote and which had him playing the lead of a suspicion-consumed husband. He played Thalathil Dineshan with such brilliance that the name has since entered popular lexicon to denote every jealous husband. The film won three Kerala State Awards, including Best Film.
The renaissance man
Nearly a decade after, he directed Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala, which won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues in 1998. He turned producer with Kadha Parayumbol, directed by M Mohanan in 2007, a poignant story of friendship between two long-lost friends played by Sreenivasan and Mammootty, which moved audiences to tears. Later, he produced the hit movie Thattathin Marayath directed by his son Vineeth Sreenivasan. A lesser-known aspect of the career of Sreenivasan was his skill as a dubbing artist. He lent his voice to Mammootty in several films, including Mela and even dubbed for the Tamil actor Thyagarajan in Oru Muthassikkadha.
Also Read: Malayalam actor-director Sreenivasan dies at 69 after prolonged illness
