<div align="justify">Acclaimed Malayalam film director I V Sasi, whose work defined popular cinema for decades, died in Chennai on Tuesday. He was 69.<br /><br />A prolific filmmaker who peaked in the 1970s and 1980s with films across genres, Sasi was arguably the only director of his time who enjoyed a box-office stature on a par with or greater than stars who appeared in his films.<br /><br />Sasi directed about 150 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi and was reported to be in talks for a return, with a big film based on the Gulf War.<br /><br />Sasi started out as an art director in the late 1960s and directed his debut feature, Utsavam, in 1975.<br /><br />He worked repeatedly, and successfully, with second-rung stars before making the big league with Avalude Ravukal (1978), a super-hit, also noted for its bold theme.<br /><br />In the 1980s, he delivered a series of multi-starrer blockbusters, most of them featuring Mohanlal and Mammootty.<br /><br />In 1981, Sasi picked Mammootty for Trishna, a film which marked the actor’s transition to leading roles.<br /><br />A state-award winner, his prominent films include Ithaa Ivide Vare (1977), Angaadi (1980), Ee Naadu (1982), Aalkoottathil Thaniye (1984), Vaartha (1986), Aavanazhi (1986), Mrigaya (1989) and Devasuram (1993).<br /><br />Aaroodham (1982) won the national award for the best feature film for national integration. His last film was Vellathooval, released in 2009.<br /><br />Sasi worked with writers on diverse themes and had a prolific collaboration with writers, including the Jnanpith Award winner M T Vasudevan Nair. It was with the late T Damodaran that he formed a template for angry, and at times anti-establishment, political films.<br /><br />He brought Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan together for the Malayalam-Tamil bilingual Alavudeenum Athbhuthavilakkum (1979).<br /><br />Later, he directed them in separate films in 1980, Kaali and Guru, respectively. His Hindi films include Anokha Rishta (1986) with Rajesh Khanna.<br /><br />Sasi is survived by his wife Seema, a popular actress who featured in many of his films, and a son and daughter.</div>
<div align="justify">Acclaimed Malayalam film director I V Sasi, whose work defined popular cinema for decades, died in Chennai on Tuesday. He was 69.<br /><br />A prolific filmmaker who peaked in the 1970s and 1980s with films across genres, Sasi was arguably the only director of his time who enjoyed a box-office stature on a par with or greater than stars who appeared in his films.<br /><br />Sasi directed about 150 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi and was reported to be in talks for a return, with a big film based on the Gulf War.<br /><br />Sasi started out as an art director in the late 1960s and directed his debut feature, Utsavam, in 1975.<br /><br />He worked repeatedly, and successfully, with second-rung stars before making the big league with Avalude Ravukal (1978), a super-hit, also noted for its bold theme.<br /><br />In the 1980s, he delivered a series of multi-starrer blockbusters, most of them featuring Mohanlal and Mammootty.<br /><br />In 1981, Sasi picked Mammootty for Trishna, a film which marked the actor’s transition to leading roles.<br /><br />A state-award winner, his prominent films include Ithaa Ivide Vare (1977), Angaadi (1980), Ee Naadu (1982), Aalkoottathil Thaniye (1984), Vaartha (1986), Aavanazhi (1986), Mrigaya (1989) and Devasuram (1993).<br /><br />Aaroodham (1982) won the national award for the best feature film for national integration. His last film was Vellathooval, released in 2009.<br /><br />Sasi worked with writers on diverse themes and had a prolific collaboration with writers, including the Jnanpith Award winner M T Vasudevan Nair. It was with the late T Damodaran that he formed a template for angry, and at times anti-establishment, political films.<br /><br />He brought Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan together for the Malayalam-Tamil bilingual Alavudeenum Athbhuthavilakkum (1979).<br /><br />Later, he directed them in separate films in 1980, Kaali and Guru, respectively. His Hindi films include Anokha Rishta (1986) with Rajesh Khanna.<br /><br />Sasi is survived by his wife Seema, a popular actress who featured in many of his films, and a son and daughter.</div>
