Kochi: Emotional scenes marked the funeral of celebrated Malayalam actor Sreenivasan, as friends, family, and fans gathered to pay their final respects. Renowned filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad honoured his late friend by placing a pen and paper on the pyre, inscribed with the message: “May only good things happen to everyone forever.”

A friendship forged in struggle

Born and raised in rural Kerala, Sathyan Anthikad and Sreenivasan shared humble beginnings shaped by everyday Malayali life. They moved to Chennai with dreams of cinema, enduring years of poverty and working as ghostwriters for small fees. From these struggles emerged voices that would define an entire cinematic sensibility.

Their early films together captured the lives of ordinary Malayalis, portraying unemployment, poverty, and wounded pride, yet humour remained their strongest tool. In Nadodikkattu, Sreenivasan’s Vijayan transforms even the fantasy of a lottery win into irony, reflecting the Malayali ability to laugh through despair.

“There was no job, no proper salary, it was a frustrating time,” Sreenivasan once recalled. “So we naturally wrote about what we were living through. Pride was also a big issue.” Scenes like Dasan claiming he “forgot” to buy rice because of pride became enduring metaphors for middle-class struggles.

In later years, both men spoke openly about the shrinking space for satire and dissent. Sreenivasan warned of growing censorship around religion, caste, and politics. Anthikad lamented a shift in filmmaking, where creators increasingly chase audience approval instead of leading them. Yet Sreenivasan never lost his instinct to speak. “The whole world seems to be ruled by mad people,” he once remarked, adding with trademark humour that it was better for one’s health not to mention names. Silence, he admitted, was easier with the pen, but far harder with the tongue.

Farewell to a legend

Sreenivasan’s son, Vineeth, performed the last rites, lighting the funeral pyre. Sreenivasan's grandson broke down in tears beside the pyre, prompting Sathyan Anthikad to comfort the grieving child.

The funeral, conducted with official honours, drew prominent figures from the Malayalam film industry to Sreenivasan’s residence in Kandanad, Ernakulam. Among those paying tribute was Tamil superstar Suriya, who visited the actor’s home on Sunday to bid farewell.

Sreenivasan passed away at 8:30 am on Saturday. His health had deteriorated while he was being taken to Edappally Amrita Hospital for dialysis, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tripunithura Taluk Hospital.