Tamil cinema mourns the loss of filmmaker, cinematographer, and actor Velu Prabhakaran, who passed away at 68 in a private Chennai hospital on Friday following a prolonged illness. The Kollywood veteran was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on Thursday, with his team confirming his critical condition on X, stating, “Director Velu Prabhakaran has been in a critical condition since this morning, under close medical supervision.”

An industry tracker announced his death, noting, “Veteran Tamil Filmmaker #VeluPrabhakaran (68) passed away in Chennai due to health issues.” Known for provocative films like Nalaya Manithan (1989), Adhisaya Manithan (1990), and Kadhal Kadhai (2009), Velu fearlessly tackled themes of atheism, caste, and sexuality. His 2004 film Kadhal Arangam, later released as Kadhal Kadhai, faced censorship issues with the CBFC due to its bold content. His final directorial work was Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary (2017), and he last appeared as an actor in Gajaana (2025).

Starting as a cinematographer with Ivargal Vithyasamanavargal (1980), Velu transitioned to directing and acting, leaving a lasting legacy in Tamil cinema. He was previously married to actor-director P Jayadevi and wed actor Shirley Das in 2017. His last rites are scheduled for Sunday evening at Porur crematorium, with public homage at Valasaravakkam from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon.

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