Film director IV Sasi dead
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Wellknown south Indian film director IV Sasi, who directed at least 150 films in different languages, died in Chennai on Tuesday after prolonged illness. He was 69.
A native of Kozhikode in north Kerala, he was undergoing treatment in Chennai for some time. He was suffering from cancer, according to reports.
He is best known for films like Avalude Ravukal, Anubhavam, Aalkkoottathil Thaniye, 1921, Mrigaya and Balram vs Tharadas among others.
He worked with all the big names in the south Indian industries including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.
Born as Irruppam Veedu Sasidharan in Kozhikode in March 1948, he began working as an art director after passing out from Madras School of Arts.
He also briefly worked as an assistant director before donning the director’s hat for his first film at the age of 27 with Malayalam film Ulsavam.
Considered a doyen of commercial cinema, his Malayalam movie Avalude Ravukal (Her Nights), depicting the story of a
HE IS BEST KNOWN FOR FILMS LIKE AVALUDE RAVUKAL, ANUBHAVAM, AALKKOOTTATHIL THANIYE, 1921, MRIGAYA
small-time sex worker, was a runaway hit and was remade in many other languages including Hindi. It starred Malayalam actress Seema, who later married Sasi. Together, the husband and wife duo worked in more than 30 films. Depicting sex in a different way, Avalude Ravukal was considered a first of its kind in the genre and has inspired many other young directors. In 1977, he directed 12 films, out of which eight were hits. In 1982, he won the National Award for his 1982 Malayalam drama, Aarodam. He is survived by his wife and two children. (With inputs from Sandeep Acharya)