Malayalam 'hitmaker' Sasikumar dies at 86

Sasikumar, who was born N Varkey John, passed away Thursday at a private hospital in Kochi. He was suffering from age-related illnesses. 'Dollar' (1993) was the last film he directed.

Ace director Sasikumar, referred to as the first 'hitmaker' of the Malayalam film industry, passed away Thursday at a private hospital, his family members said. He was 86.

J-Sasikumar

Sasikumar, who was born N Varkey John, was suffering from age-related illnesses.

His first film 'Kudumbini' came in 1964 and his last film was 'Dollar' in 1993.

During the nearly three decades, he paved his way into record books by becoming the director who made a maximum number of 141 films.

Sasikumar repeated Prem Nazir, the legendary evergreen hero of the Malayalam films, in 84 films. Yet another record to his credit.

In 1977, Sasikumar directed a staggering 15 Malayalam films.

Incidentally, he has directed a huge number of stars -- Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Madhu, Jayan, Kamal Hassan, Sukumaran, Soman Mammootty and Mohanlal.

His popular films include 'Sethu Bandhanam', 'Thuruppu Gulam', 'Saghakkale Munottu', 'Attakkalasam' and 'Ethikkara Pakki' to name a few.

The Kerala state government honoured him last year by conferring the coveted JC Daniel Award for his contribution to Malayalam cinema.