Noted film director J. Mahendran passed away early on Tuesday morning, following a brief hospitalisation. His son John Mahendran confirmed his passing on social media.
Noted film director J. Mahendran passed away early on Tuesday morning, following a brief hospitalisation. His son John Mahendran confirmed his passing on social media.
He was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on March 27, after he became sick following a dialysis session. He was on a ventilator, according to hospital sources.
J. Mahendran was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor in the Tamil film industry. Mahendran is regarded as one of the greatest film makers of Tamil cinema and has influenced several filmmakers of the generations followed.
Mahendran entered the film industry as a screenwriter, writing scripts for nearly 26 films. He made an immediate impact with his first directional venture Mullum Malarum (1978). Mahendran's next film Uthiripookkal, based on a short story written by Pudumaipithan, firmly established him as an important film maker in Tamil cinema.
His Nenjathai Killathe won three National Film Awards including the award for the best regional film. He has also acted in films during the latter part of his film career, including Kamaraj (2004) and Theri (2016). Before his death, he was the head of the direction department of BOFTA Film Institute in Chennai.