Director-screenwriter Sangeeth Sivan passes away

Renowned director and screenwriter Sangeeth Sivan passed away on Wednesday at the age of 65 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai.

He leaves behind a rich legacy of impactful movies in both the Malayalam and Hindi film industries.

Born into a family deeply entrenched in cinema, Sangeeth Sivan was the eldest son of photographer Sivan. He shared his storytelling passion with his brothers, Santosh Sivan and Sanjeev Sivan, all of whom have made indelible marks in the cinematic world.

Sangeeth Sivan's filmmaking journey commenced under the mentorship of Basu Bhattacharya, who identified his talent and appointed him as the executive producer of the iconic film "Raakh," marking his directorial debut. It wasn't long before Sangeeth Sivan ventured into directing himself, leaving a lasting impression with the critically acclaimed Malayalam film "Vyooham."

However, it was the 1992 blockbuster "Yodha" that catapulted him into the limelight, not only garnering praise but also cementing his status as a leading director in the Malayalam film industry. It was through this movie A. R. Rahman was first introduced in Malayalam. Apart from "Yodha," he collaborated with legendary actor Mohanlal in films like "Gandharvam" and "Nirnayam". He also produced and wrote the 2012 Malayalam movie "Idiots". In 2017, he co-produced the movie "E".

In his Bollywood endeavours, Sangeeth Sivan directed "Zor," featuring Sunny Deol, and subsequently worked on projects like "Sandhya" and "Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne."

While not all his Bollywood ventures achieved commercial success, he bounced back with the comedy "Yamla Pagla Deewana 2," starring the Deol family, showcasing his versatility as a filmmaker.

During the initial days of his filmmaking journey, Sivan also made documentary films. His dedication to storytelling and creativity led to the creation of "Johnny," a film that was well-received and earned him the prestigious Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film.