Veteran director John Sankaramangalam dead

Thiruvalla, Kerala: Veteran film personality John Sankaramangalam, a former director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, died at a hospital near here on Monday, said family sources.

He was 84 and died due to age-related illness.

In his long career, John won two National and four Kerala State Film Awards.

He also served as chairman and jury of many national and international film festivals and participated as an official delegate to a number of film festivals.

He was also an executive member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinema et de Television), association of the world's major film and television schools founded in Cannes in 1955 and was former vice chairman of Kerala Chalachithra Academy.

Born at Eraviperoor near here, John, after his education at the SB College and the Madras Christian College, became a teacher.

But since his passion was films, he joined the FTII. As a student in 1962 and after doing his diploma from there, he entered the film industry and did four films besides several documentaries for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. His directorial titles include "Saramsham", "Samandaram", "Aval Alpam Vaikippoyi" and "Janma Bhoomi".

Later, he went on to become the director of FTII. Post retirement, he was seen as an authority on the history of Indian films.