Malayalam filmmaker A B Raj passes away at 95

Noted Malayalam filmmaker A B Raj, also known as A Bhaskar Raj, who had been active in the world of movies since 1951, passed away at his residence in Chennai on Sunday, film industry sources said.

The 95-year-old director died of cardiac arrest, according to his son-in-law Ponvannan. Raj is survived by three children, including noted actress Saranya Ponvannan. Born in Madurai in 1925, Raj started his film career in the late 1940s under the guidance of T R Sundaram.

The filmmaker went to Sri Lanka in 1951 and during his 10-year-long stay there, he had directed 11 Sinhalese movies, Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) Directors' Union said in a statement in Kochi.

Condoling the death, the union said the veteran filmmaker, whose parents belonged to Alappuzha in Kerala, had directed around 50 Malayalam films between 1968 and 1985. 'Kaliyalla Kalyanam' was his first Malayalam movie. 'Sasthram Jayichu Manushyan Thottu', 'Pachanottukal', 'Kazhukan', 'Irumbazhikal', 'Light House' and 'Thaalam Thettiya Tharattu' are the other popular Malayalam movies directed by Raj.

'Ormikkan Omanikkan', directed in 1985, was his last Malayalam movie.

Raj has directed Tamil films too.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, condoling the death, said Raj had made notable contributions to the Malayalam film industry.