Veteran Tamil Director-Cinematographer Velu Prabhakaran Passes Away At 68

Renowned Tamil filmmaker, cinematographer and actor Velu Prabhakaran breathed his last on Friday (July 18) morning at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 68. As per a report in India Today, his relatives confirmed that the filmmaker died of a prolonged illness. He was in a critical condition, and was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the last few days.

Velu Prabhakaran's mortal remains will be kept at Valasaravakkam in Chennai, from Saturday evening (July 19) to Sunday afternoon (July 20), where public can pay their last respects to the filmmaker. The cremation will take place at Porur crematorium on Sunday evening, in the presence of family and friends.

Condolences have been pouring in for Velu Prabhakaran on social media. The Tamil industry is mourning the loss of the filmmaker.

Velu Prabhakaran career

Velu Prabhakaran started his career as a cinematographer, and then tried his hands in acting and direction. He was a controversial auteur, known for his socially provocative films, that explored the bold themes like atheism, caste and sexuality. In the late 90s, he started directing action-packed dramas.

Pratachikkaran, Kadavul, Kadhal Kadhai, Rajali, Asuran, and Shivan, are some of his projects. His 1989 science fiction film Naalaiya Manithan, became a cult movie.

Kadhal Kadhai (originally titled Kadhal Arangam), faced controversy for dealing with caste, sexuality, and social taboos. It was objected by the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which made him re-edit the film and it was re-released as Kadhal Kadhai in 2009. 

Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary, which released in 2017, was Velu Prabhakaran's final directorial. Since 2019, he started acting and appeared in films like Gangs of Madras, Cadaver, and Pizza 3: The Mummy. His last appearance was in 2025 film, Gajaana.

Over the years, he faced criticism for his bold and controversial themes in films, but managed to cement his position as a renowned filmmaker.

The filmmaker was married to actor-director Jayadevi, but both separated. In 2017, at the age of 60, he remarried actor Shirley Das, who starred in his 2009 film Kadhal Kadhai.