Malayalam Director Vinu, 73, Dies After Brief Illness

Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Vinu, widely recognised for his successful collaborations with director Suresh, passed away on January 10 at 73 in Coimbatore. The acclaimed director had been recently hospitalised in Coimbatore and succumbed to a brief illness.

According to reports, Vinu was admitted to the hospital for stomach-related ailments. The FEFKA (Association of Film Employees Federation of Kerala) directors union shared the news on its official Facebook page, announcing Vinu’s demise at the age of 73. Vinu, known for his partnership with director Suresh, breathed his last on January 10 in a Coimbatore hospital, where he had been admitted the previous day. The filmmaker was actively involved in preparing for a psycho-thriller film at the time of his hospitalisation. The post also conveyed that his last rites would be performed on January 11 at 10:30 am at Singanelur Cemetery in Coimbatore.

Vinu is survived by his wife, Anuradha Radhakrishnan, and two children, Monica and Nimish. The collaboration between Suresh and Vinu resulted in numerous successful Malayalam films, including Mangalam Veettil Manaseshwari Gupta, Kusruthi Kattu, and Ayushman Bhava.

Their first film, Mangalam Veettil Manasesweri Gupta, featured Vani Viswanath and Jayaram in lead roles and gained significant popularity. Subsequently, the duo directed Kusruthikaatu, with the script produced by Mani C. Kappan and written by J. Pallassery.

Their final collaboration came in the form of the 2008 movie Kanichukulangarayil CBI, centred around the real-life Kanichukulangara murder case. The film starred Manoj K. Jayan in the lead role, along with Suresh Krishna, Lakshmi Sharma, Sai Kumar, Meghanathan, and Rajan P. Dev in pivotal roles. It was produced by Sreekumaran Thampi, and the cinematography and editing were handled by M. D. Sukumaran and P. C. Mohanan, respectively.

Vinu’s contribution to Malayalam cinema and his successful collaborations with director Suresh have left an indelible mark, making his passing a significant loss to the industry.