Celebrated author and magazine editor S Jayachandran Nair passed away in Bengaluru on Thursday. He was 85. Credited with changing the face of magazine journalism in Malayalam, he was the founder-editor of the Samakalika Malayalam.

Before his stint with The New Indian Express's sister concern, he was the editor of Kalakaumudi. He wrote and produced Shaji N Karun's 'Swam' and Piravi', which went on to win many national and international honours.

In 2012, his autobiography, Ente Pradakshina Vazhikal, was selected for the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Kerala Chalachitra Academy honoured his book on cinema, Kazhchayude Satyam. He has received the K Balakrishnan Memorial Award, the KC Sebastian Award, the K Vijayaraghavan Award, the MV Pylee Award for journalism, and the CH Mohammed Koya Award.