Popular Malayalam filmmaker R Sarath has passed away at the age of 63. The director breathed his last at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram as reported by Mathrubhumi.R Sarath directed several acclaimed Malayalam films during his career. His notable works include ‘Sayahnam’, ‘Sheelabathi’, ‘Sthithi’ and ‘Buddhan Chirikkunnu’. Among them, ‘Sayahnam’ earned considerable critical appreciation. The film also won seven Kerala State Film Awards.
His journey as a filmmaker
R Sarath began his career in cinema through documentaries. His early work focused heavily on art, culture and heritage. One of his important projects was ‘The Painted Epics’.While making the documentary, R Sarath discovered rare mural paintings associated with legendary artist Raja Ravi Varma. His research into Kerala’s mural traditions also brought him national recognition. In 1996, R Sarath received a Junior Fellowship from the Department of Culture, Government of India.
National and state recognition
R Sarath’s achievements included the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. He also received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. He won honours in categories including Best Film, Second Best Film, Best Short Film and Best Story.R Sarath also directed the documentary short ‘Bhoomikkoru Charamageetham’. The film was based on a poem by renowned Malayalam poet ONV Kurup. It explored environmental concerns and feminine aesthetics. Another notable work was ‘Sthithi’. The film focused on the lives of a couple employed at the Government Secretariat. Playback singer Unni Menon played the lead role in the film.
Training and professional career
According to information on R Sarath’s official website, he was a postgraduate in English Literature. He also received formal training in Film Production and Journalism. His filmmaking skills were further developed during his apprenticeship under acclaimed filmmaker Shaji N. Karun. He also trained under Swiss filmmaker Markoos Imhoof.R Sarath later took up several important positions outside feature filmmaking. He retired as Deputy Director of the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala. He had previously served as Director of MPCC and Secretary of Bharat Bhavan under the Kerala State Cultural Department.
Contributions beyond cinema
R Sarath was also associated with ‘Geet Govinda’, described as India’s first prestigious multimedia project. He served as its visual director. The project was a collaboration between the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, and the multimedia design team at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, USA.Dr Kapila Vatsyayan wrote the script for the multimedia project in 1997. R Sarath also remained involved in the international film circuit. He served as festival director of IUKFF 2007 in London. In 2011, he served as a jury member for the National Film Awards. The following year, he became the jury chairman of the Kerala State Television Awards.Meanwhile, R Sarath’s last directorial venture was ‘Swayam: Selfless’.
