Malayalam film stalwart Sreenivasans legacy: A timeline

Senior Malayalam actor Sreenivasan’s death on December 20 leaves the industry without a stalwart actor, director, scriptwriter and scenarist who had developed a name in the space with over 220 films. He was 69. Sreenivasan had been suffering from ailments for the past few years. He had been hospitalised in 2019 after difficulty breathing and was put on the ventilator in a critical condition for a time before recovering. He is survived by two sons, both actors, and his wife.

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Sreenivasan’s massive footprint in Malayalam cinema goes back to 1976, to his first film debut as an actor in the film Manimuzhakkam. As a scriptwriter, he thought of scenes as ways to show character details, with the characters being nuanced beyond the stereotypical traits of a ‘hero’.

As a filmmaker, his primary goal was to entertain the audience. To this end, he structured plotlines, scenes and themes. One of his notable hits is Katha Parayumbol released in 2017. It was remade in Telegu (Kathanayukudu) and Tamil (Kuselan).

Besides his career in film, Sreenivasan was also engaged in social issues. In 2017, he was outspoken against the State government’s plan to implement the Athirappilly hydel powel project and backed the concerns of Adivasi protesters about the destruction of forests. He was also engaged in organic and eco-friendly farming.

Here is a look at his journey in film.