Noted Malayalam film director Sachidanandan no more

Besides his family members and friends, Malayalam film personalities including Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Suraj Venjaranmud, Mukesh and director Ranjith were among those who bid a tearful adieu. In a condolence message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his death was a loss for the Malayalam movie industry.

Noted Malayalam film director and scriptwriter K R Sachidanandan, whose last film "Ayyappanum Koshiyum' released just before the COVID-19 outbreak and was a smash hit, died at a private hospital in Thrissur, film industry sources said. He was 48.

The director, popularly known as Sachy, was admitted to the Jubilee Mission hospital on Tuesday after he suffered a heart attack and had been on ventilator support since then. He died on Thursday night, they said.

"Ayyappanum Koshiyum" starred Prithviraj and Biju Menon. Sachidanandan's directorial debut "Anarkali", a Malayalam romantic thriller, was released in 2015.

A criminal lawyer by profession, Sachidanandan entered the film world as a script writer with Sethunath for the film "Chocolate" in 2007. The last rites of Sachy were held at Ravipuram crematorium here with state honours on Friday afternoon.

Earlier, the Malayalam film world bid an emotional farewell to their Sachy. Besides his family members and friends, Malayalam film personalities including Prithviraj, Biju Menon, Suraj Venjaranmud, Mukesh and director Ranjith were among those who bid a tearful adieu.

In a condolence message, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said his death was a loss for the Malayalam movie industry. "Sachy was a noted Malayalam movie director and screenplay writer. He was behind many hit movies in Malayalam.

With the untimely death of Sachy, the Malayalam movie industry lost a talented artist," Vijayan said. Actor Nivin Pauly tweeted that his demise was a loss to Malayalam cinema.

"Shocked to hear the sudden demise of Sachy ettan. Indeed a big loss to Malayalam cinema. May his soul rest in peace!," Pauly tweeted.

Biju Menon, in a tweet, said "In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still. You left without warning, gone so fast. My deepest sympathies. God bless his family and friends..."PTI TGB RRT UD APR SS PTI PTI.