Malayalam filmmaker Joseph Manu James dies before release of debut film, Aju Varghese pays tribute

Filmmaker Joseph Manu James, who was 31, was reportedly undergoing treatment for Hepatitis at a private hospital in Kerala.

Filmmaker Joseph Manu James, who was reportedly undergoing treatment for Hepatitis at a private hospital in Kerala, died days before the release of his debut film, Nancy Rani. He was 31.

His directorial debut is gearing up for release in a few days.

He was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with pneumonia, and died of hepatitis. Joseph breathed his last on February 24 and his untimely demise sent shockwaves across Malayalam fraternity, as per a report by Pinkvilla. The last rites were held on Sunday at Kuravilangad of Kerala's Kottayam district.

Aju Varghese and Ahaana Krishna, actors of Nancy Rani, took to their social media pages to share condolences on Joseph’s passing.

"Gone too soon brother. Prayers," Varghese wrote. In the comments section of Aji Varghese’s post, several people reacted to the news and shared their tributes. One user wrote: “Heartfelt condolences (sic).” Another user wrote: “A very talented passionate person and a gentle caring human being. Irreplaceable loss for Mollywood (sic).”

"Rest in peace Manu! This shouldn't have happened to you," Ahaana wrote on her Instagram Story.

Nancy Rani also stars Sreenivasan, Pradeep Kottayam. The film revolves around Nancy, who dreams of becoming an actress and the tragedy she has to face when she lands the big opportunity. The film is gearing up for release in a few days.

Joseph made his debut in the Malayalam industry, as a child actor with I Am Curious (2004), which was directed by Sabu James. He is survived by his wife Naina, and siblings Minna and Philip.