Kollywood’s senior director, actor Ra Sankaran passes away

Renowned director and actor Ra Sankaran, celebrated for his contributions to films such as “Then Sindhudhe Vaanam” (1975) and “Thoondil Meen” (1977), has passed away at the age of 92. The veteran filmmaker, succumbing to health issues related to old age, was remembered and mourned by director Bharathiraja, who had served as an assistant director under Sankaran.

Born Ramarathnam Sankaran, the versatile artist, and cousin to Indian author, screenwriter, and actor Javar Seetharaman, initially embarked on his career by engaging in small-time plays before transitioning to supporting roles in various films. His notable performance as Mr. Chandramouli, Revathy’s father, in Mani Ratnam’s “Mouna Ragam” (1986) remains etched in cinematic memory.

Ra Sankaran made his directorial debut with “Onne Onnu Kanne Kannu” in 1974, featuring Cho Ramasamy, Jayachitra, and Sivakumar in lead roles. In 1975, he collaborated with Sivakumar, Jayachitra, and Cho once again, directing “Then Sindhudhe Vaanam,” which also starred Kamal Haasan and Rani Chandra.

Simultaneously nurturing his acting career, Sankaran took on various supporting roles, including appearances in films such as “Pudhumai Pen” (1984), “Oru Kaidhiyin Diary” (1985), “Pagal Nilavu” (1985), and “Unakkagave Vaazhgiren” (1986).

In 1977, he directed the thriller “Thoondil Meen,” headlined by Lakshmi, Mohan Sharma, and Major Sundarrajan. The film garnered acclaim and was later remade in Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu as “Trishna” (1978), “Avala Hejje” (1981), and “Bandhalu Anubandhalu” (1982), respectively. Many of his directorial ventures earned various awards.

Among his more recent acting credits are appearances in films such as Ajith Kumar’s “Amaravathi” (1993), “Jameen Kottai” (1995), Kamal Haasan’s “Sathi Leelavathi” (1995), and “Kadhal Kottai” (1996), among others. His final film was the 1999 Sundar C directorial “Azhagarsamy,” starring Sathyaraj in the lead role.

Reflecting on his passing, director Bharathiraja expressed his grief, stating, “The demise of my teacher, director Ra Sankaran, hurts me. I wish to extend my deepest condolences to his family, who will be deeply affected by his passing.”