Veteran Tamil filmmaker, cinematographer, and actor Velu Prabhakaran passed away on Friday at the age of 68 in a private hospital in Chennai after a prolonged illness. He had been in critical condition and under intensive medical care
Velu Prabhakaran
Velu Prabhakaran, a Tamil filmmaker, cinematographer, and actor, died Friday at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 68. On Thursday, the Kollywood veteran's team announced that he remained in serious condition and under constant medical observation in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
On Thursday night, Velu’s team confirmed that the filmmaker-actor was in a critical condition, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Director Velu Prabhakaran has been in a critical condition since this morning. He remains under close medical supervision, and while he is still breathing, doctors have stated that his condition is extremely serious and requires continuous monitoring."
On Friday morning, an industry tracker verified his death, stating, "Veteran Tamil Filmmaker, the controversial #VeluPrabhakaran (68) passed away in Chennai due to health issues. Prabhakaran was known for his socially provocative films such as Nalaya Manithan, Kadavul, Kadhal Kadhai, where he explored themes like atheism, caste & sexuality." Velu's relatives also confirmed to India Today that he died after a protracted illness.
Details about his last rites
His last rituals will be held at Porur Crematorium on Sunday evening. From Saturday evening till Sunday afternoon, his body would be held in Valasaravakkam, Chennai, for public homage.
Velu's career trajectory
Velu started his career as a cinematographer for the 1980 film Ivargal Vithyasamanavargal before becoming a director with 1989's Nalaya Manithan. He directed the film's sequel, Adhisaya Manithan, in 1990. Velu also attempted to make action films in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Velu was known throughout his career for making films that called into question the caste structure and sexual morality. His 2004 film Kadhal Arangam, which was re-released in 2009 as Kadhal Kadhai, has received criticism from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for various sequences and dialogue. Velu's latest film as a filmmaker was 2017's Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary. His last film as an actor was Gajaana, released in 2025.
Velu was formerly married to actor and director P. Jayadevi. In June 2017, at the age of 60, he married actor Shirley Das, who is half his age and appeared in his film Kadhal Kadhai.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
