Veteran Tamil director, cinematographer, and actor Velu Prabhakaran passed away in Chennai in the early hours of Friday, July 18, following a prolonged illness. The 68-year-old filmmaker had been in critical condition in the ICU at a private hospital in the city for the past few days.
Known for his unflinching approach to storytelling, Velu Prabhakaran carved a unique space for himself in Tamil cinema with films that fearlessly explored themes like atheism, caste, and sexuality. Over the decades, his body of work earned both critical acclaim and severe criticism, cementing his place as one of Tamil cinema’s boldest voices.
Velu Prabhakaran began his career as a cinematographer and sought out his passion in filmmaking. His filmography includes Nalaya Manithan (1989), which marked his directorial debut, and its sequel, Adhisaya Manithan. Despite facing setbacks with films such as Asuran and Rajali, Prabhakaran transitioned to directing action-packed dramas in the late 90s.
He courted controversy in the 2000s with Kadhal Arangam, a film that dealt with socially taboo subjects. After facing objections from the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC), he re-edited and re-released the film as Kadhal Kadhai in 2009. The film was met with universal criticism from audiences, despite the director's heartfelt video message sharing his personal struggles and revealing that certain aspects of the movie were autobiographical.
Velu Prabhakaran's final directorial, Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary, was released in 2017. Since 2019, Prabhakaran took up acting in films such as Gangs of Madras, Cadaver, and Pizza 3: The Mummy, with his last appearance in Gajaana.
Velu Prabhakaran was earlier married to actor-director Jayadevi. Years after their separation, he tied the knot with actor Shirley Das in 2017, who had starred in Kadhal Kadhai.
Public homage will be held at his residence in Valasaravakkam from Saturday evening until Sunday afternoon. The cremation is scheduled for Sunday evening at the Porur crematorium. He is survived by his loved ones.