Veteran Tamil filmmaker Velu Prabhakaran passes away at 68

Renowned Tamil filmmaker, cinematographer, and actor Velu Prabhakaran passed away in the early hours of Friday, July 18, at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 68. Family sources confirmed that he succumbed to a prolonged illness after being in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for several days.

Velu Prabhakaran’s mortal remains will be kept for public homage at Valasaravakkam, Chennai, from Saturday evening (July 19) to Sunday afternoon (July 20). His cremation will take place on Sunday evening at the Porur crematorium, attended by close family and friends.

The Tamil film industry is in mourning, with tributes pouring in from colleagues, fans, and film lovers who admired his unique cinematic voice and bold storytelling.

Velu Prabhakaran began his film career as a cinematographer before transitioning to direction. He made his directorial debut in 1989 with the science fiction thriller Nalaya Manithan, followed by its sequel Adhisaya Manithan a year later. Though his early 90s films like Asuran and Rajali did not fare well, he found his footing with gritty action films in the late 90s and early 2000s.

In 2004, he began work on Kadhal Arangam, a controversial film that tackled subjects like caste and sexuality. The Censor Board raised objections, leading to edits and a title change to Kadhal Kadhai before its eventual release in 2009. The film, partially autobiographical, included a video message from the director explaining the challenges he faced in making the film. Despite his efforts, the movie was met with critical disapproval.

Velu continued to explore filmmaking, culminating in his last directorial effort, Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary, in 2017.

From 2019 onward, Velu Prabhakaran transitioned into acting, taking on supporting roles in several Tamil films. He earned recognition for performances in Gangs of Madras, Cadaver, Pizza 3: The Mummy, Raid, Weapon, and Appu VI STD. His final on-screen appearance was in Gajaana.

Velu Prabhakaran was first married to actor-director Jayadevi. Years after their separation, he remarried at the age of 60, tying the knot with actress Shirley Das in 2017. Shirley starred in Kadhal Kadhai, a film close to the director’s heart.