Ace Malayalam filmmaker K. G. George breathed his last in Kochi. He was 77.

An extraordinarily influential filmmaker to many, K. G. George made his outstanding directorial debut with Swapnanadanam in 1975, for which he won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. 

Honoured with the Kerala State Film Awards, in addition to the J. C. Daniel Award, the filmmaker, known for his revolutionary storytelling and craft, left an indelible mark through successively benchmark-setting films in diverse genres such as Mela (1980), Yavanika (1982), Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983), Adaminte Vaariyellu (1984), Panchavadi Palam (1984), and Irakal (1985). 

Also notable are his domestic dramas Mattoral (1988), the made-for-TV feature Yathrayude Anthyam (1989), and the murder mystery Ee Kanni Koodi (1990).

He wrote his first screenplay for Nellu (1974), directed by another maverick Malayalam filmmaker Ramu Kariat. 

K. G. George is survived by his wife Selma and children Thara and Arun.