Malayalam director Shafi passed away on Saturday night. He has made some of the most memorable and celebrated comedy films in the 2000s. The 56-year-old was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi a week back after he suffered a severe stroke. Though he underwent a brain surgery, his condition remained critical, before he breathed his last on Saturday. Several colleagues from the industry, including Mammootty, director B Unnikrishnan, and producer Anto Joseph visited him at the hospital.

Shafi, the younger brother of writer-director Rafi and nephew of the late filmmaker Siddique, started his career in 2001 with the blockbuster Jayaram-starrer One Man Show. He followed it up with a string of hits like Kalyanaraman (2002), Pulival Kalyanam (2003), Thommanum Makkalum (2005), its Tamil remake Majaa (2005), Mayavi (2007), Chocolate (2007), Chattambinadu (2009), Marykkundoru Kunjaadu (2010), Makeup Man (2011), and Two Countries (2015). He last made the Sharaf U Dheen-starrer Aanandam Paramanandam (2022).

As a director, Shafi had an incredible success ratio, with most of his films having immense repeat value. Known for his wonderful comic timing, the director's films were rich with humour, both situational and slapstick. He regularly collaborated with writers Rafi-Mecartin, Benny P Nayarambalam, and Sachi-Sethu to craft fun-filled entertainers. Even after decades, most of his works continue to dominate the Malayalam meme world, ensuring his legacy lives forever.

Shafi's untimely passing away is certain to leave a void in the industry, which is already facing a dearth of quality humour. Many from within the industry and the common audience echo this sentiment as they pay their tearful tributes to a man who had the effortless knack of evoking laughter.