Malayalam writer-director Lohithadas dead

KOCHI - Veteran Malayalam film director and script writer A.K. Lohithadas died here Sunday morning following cardiac arrest, leaving the Malayalam movie industry and film fans in shock. He was 54.

Lohithadas, who scripted several blockbusters for superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal, died at a private hospital. His last rites are set to take place at his hometown Palakkad Monday morning.

The director, who was popularly called Lohi, burst onto the Malayalam film industry with his story and script of award winning film “Thaniyavarthanam”, which catapulted Mammootty to stardom in 1987.

A shocked Mammootty said: “The world is such that people just disappear like this and it is really painful. We very recently had a long talk on a forthcoming film.”

Mohanlal said it was Lohithadas’ script that was largely instrumental in making his acting career a success.

“We worked closely on numerous projects and we had finalised to work in two forthcoming projects and now he is no more,” said Mohanlal.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said the state had lost a valuable person who understood the problems of the common man, which was reflected in his writings.

Lohithadas directed a dozen films and he was also credited with introducing talented actresses like Manju Warrier and Meera Jasmine. Another heroine he brought to the screen was Bhama in his last film “Nivedyam” in 2007.

Some of the hit films he wrote include “Bharatham”, “Thoovalkottaram” and “His Highness Abdullah”, while among the acclaimed movies he made are “Kasthoorimann” and “Kanmadam”.