Renowned South director and screenwriter Harikumar passes away after battling cancer

Harikumar passed away at 70

Renowned South director and screenwriter Harikumar passed away on Monday at the age of 70. The ace director was battling cancer, and after a long fight, he took his last breath at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, where he had been receiving treatment.

His demise has come as a shock to the Malayalam film industry. With exceptional talent, he crafted around 20 films in his career. From writing screenplays and delivering strong dialogues to directing films that resonate with the public, Harikumar excelled in all sectors.

Harikumar's journey in the cinema world

Harikumar, known as the 'director of litterateurs,' brought to life stories such as Aambal Poovu, Puli Varunne Puli, Sukrutham, Paranju Theeratha Visheshangal, Clint, among others. In his career, he provided screenplays for Snehapoorvam Meera, Oru Swakaaryam, Puli Varunne Puli, Ayanam, and Pularvettam.

Harikumar rose to fame as the director of Mammootty in the 1994 film 'Sukrutham'. His directorial debut, 'Aampalpoovu', hit the screens in 1981, in collaboration with writer Perumpadavam Sreedharan. Twice, Harikumar served as a member of the national film awards jury. His film 'Sukrutham' clinched the National Award for Best Malayalam Feature Film.

More about Harikumar

In 2005 and 2008, he worked as a member of the National Film Award jury. His wife's name is Chandrika. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed grief at Harikumar's demise. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shared that the ace director was one of the powerful advocates of the Malayalam intermediate cinema movement, who skillfully integrated artistic and professional values.

It was just last month when the South industry received the shocking news of Veteran Kannada actor, director, and producer Dwarakish's demise due to age-related ailments. The filmmaker breathed his last in the early hours of Tuesday, April 16th at his residence in Bengaluru. Dwarakish, who produced more than 50 films under his banner Dwarakish Chitra, was a well-known actor and director as well. Dwarakish made his debut as a comedy actor in Kannada cinema, with his maternal uncle Hunsur Krishnamurthy's Veera Sankalpa in 1964. He made a mark as a comedian before going on to become a prolific producer under the banner Dwarakish Chitra in the Kannada film industry. Collaborating with Dr Rajkumar, and director Siddalingaiah, his first production, Mayor Muthanna was a hit, and went on to become a classic.