Kochi: Renowned theatre artist Vijesh KV, 49, died after collapsing during a training session at Sacred Heart College, Thevara on Friday. He was taken to a nearby hospital immediately, but doctors declared him dead.

A prominent figure in Kerala’s contemporary theatre scene, Vijesh was celebrated for his work as a playwright, director and acting coach. Originally from Kozhikode, he built a significant body of work across stage and cinema. He is survived by his wife, Kabani – a film actor and theatre artist – and their daughter, Syra. 

A graduate of the School of Drama, Vijesh became deeply involved in the theatre circuit early in his career. After marriage, he and Kabani founded ‘Theatre Beats’, an initiative aimed at offering structured theatre training to students. He was also widely sought after for film acting workshops.

Vijesh entered the film industry as a lyricist with ‘Thakarachenda’, directed by Avira Rebecca. Over the years, he appeared in several films, including ‘Philips and the Monkey Pen’, ‘Malgudi Days’, ‘My God’, ‘Gold Coins’, ‘Pulliman’, ‘Aami’ and ‘Clint’. As a songwriter, he earned a devoted following for pieces such as “Ningal Ningale Matram Ishtapedallappa…” and “Perutha Bhoomeente Ullil Ullil Oru Cheriya Bhoomeend.”

He was son of Vijayan and Sathyabhama.

Public homage will take place at 10:30 am on Saturday at the Town Hall.