Actor Dileep pays tribute to late director Shafi, who passed away at a private hospital in Kochi past midnight on Saturday. 

His collaborations with actor Dileep led to several blockbusters, including 'Kalyanaraman', 'Marykkundoru Kunjaadu', and 'Two Countries'.

In a post shared on Facebook, Dileep wrote, "Our bond went beyond just being the director of my films. Dileep mentioned that Shafi was like a brother to him and that his demise happened amidst discussions for their upcoming film. 

Rasheed M H, fondly known as Shafi, was undergoing treatment after suffering a stroke on January 16 and remained in critical condition for several days before his demise, according to the hospital sources.

"Beloved Shafi has left us... The director of three of my films, three superhits. But our relationship went far beyond that. He was Rafi's brother, Rafi Mecartin's co-director, and, above all, like a brother to me. I find it hard to write more... His passing comes while we were in the midst of discussions for our upcoming project," he wrote.

Among his other celebrated works are 'Pulival Kalyanam', 'Thommanum Makkalum', 'Mayavi', and 'Chattambinadu', solidifying his reputation as a prominent director in Malayalam cinema.

His last directorial venture was the 2022 film 'Aanandam Paramanandam'.