Chennai: Noted film director and screenwriter KS Sethumadhavan died on Friday morning. He was 90.
Sethumadhavan who worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema has over 60 movies to his credit.
He directed many landmark films in Malayalam film history such as Odayil Ninnu, Yakshi, Kadalpalam, Achanum Bappayum, Ara Nazhika Neram, Panitheeratha Veedu, Anubhavangal Palichakal, Punarjanmam and Oppol.
Sethumadhavan worked with all the finest writers in Malayalam of his time, notably MT Vasudevan Nair, Thakazhi, P Kesavadev, Muttathu Varkey, Malayattoor, Pamman, KT Muhammed, Thoppil Bhasi among others.
He was the recipient of numerous awards including ten National Film Awards and nine Kerala State Film Awards including four for Best Direction.
In 2009, he was awarded JC Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.
The Kerala Film Critics Association honoured him with the Chalachitra Ratnam Award in 2011.
He had also been jury chairman of the National and State Film Awards on more than one occasion.
Born to Subrahmanyam and Lakshmi in Palakkad in 1931, Sethumadhavan has been residing in Chennai these past years.
He completed his degree in biology from Government Victoria College, Palakkad.
He debuted in the film industry as an assistant director to K Ramnath. He debuted as an independent film director with Veeravijaya, a Sinhalese film in 1960.
His first Malayalam film was Gnana Sundari, produced by TE Vasudevan under the banner of Associates Pictures based on a short story by Muttathu Varkey.
His film Achanum Bappayum won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, a part of the National Film Awards, in 1973.
His Tamil film Marupakkam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 1991. Thus it became the first Tamil film to win the award, the feat was repeated by Kanchivaram in 2007.
In 1996, his Telugu film Stri won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu.
He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Director 4 times: for films Ara Nazhika Neram (1970), Karakanakkadal (1971), Pani Theeratha Veedu (1972) and Oppol (1980).
It was the movie Anubhavangal Paalichakal which Sethumadhavan directed in 1971 that Mammootty got his first break in Malayalam cinema as a junior artist.
Sethumadhavan is survived by his wife Valsala and three children: Santosh, Uma and Sonukumar.