Published Sep 07, 2026 | 2:17 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 07, 2026 | 2:17 PM
Filmmaker R Sarath.
Noted Malayalam filmmaker, screenwriter and cultural administrator R Sarath passed away at around 1 am on Monday at KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He was 64.
Sarath, who had won nine international awards, a National Award and four Kerala State Film Awards, entered the film industry with Sayahnam in 2000.
His debut film, which he scripted and directed, won seven Kerala State Film Awards and the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director.
It was also screened in the competition section of the 2001 Munich International Film Festival and later featured at several international festivals.
His subsequent films included Sthithi (2003), Sheelavathi (2006), The Desire – A Journey of a Woman (2011), an Indo-Chinese co-production, and Parudeesa (2012 – Paradise), which won honours at international film festivals in Mexico and Amsterdam.
Buddhanum Chaplinum Chirikkunnu (Buddha and Chaplin are laughing – 2016) explored Charlie Chaplin’s legacy through the character Indragupthan, played by Malayalam actor Indrans, during the centenary celebrations of Chaplin’s acting career.
His final film was Swayam: Selfless, released on 2017 and centring on a mother and her autistic child.
Sarath’s documentary The Painted Epics, centred on Kerala’s mural tradition and Raja Ravi Varma, earned critical acclaim.
During its making, he discovered rare mural paintings attributed to Raja Ravi Varma at the Kilimanoor temple.
His research earned him a Junior Fellowship from the Union Ministry of Culture in 1996.
A postgraduate in English literature with formal training in filmmaking and journalism, Sarath also served as Deputy Director in the Information and Public Relations Department, Director of MPCC and Secretary of Bharat Bhavan under the Culture Department.
Chief Minister VD Satheesan and Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan condoled his death, describing his passing as a major loss to Kerala’s film and cultural spheres.
Satheesan described Sarath as a notable director in Malayalam cinema whose diverse body of work had made a mark in the film and cultural sectors.
Vijayan recalled Sarath’s contributions not only to cinema but also to Keralam’s cultural and administrative spheres.
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(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
