Velu Prabhakaran, a seasoned filmmaker who had previously produced, photographed, and starred in Tamil films, passed away on Friday morning (July 18, 2025). Velu Prabhakaran, a maverick of Tamil cinema, was renowned for his brave narrative and socially contentious films that pushed the envelope in Indian filmmaking.

After a protracted illness, Velu Prabhakaran passes away.

For South Indian films, it has been a gloomy period. Tamil director and actor Velu Prabhakaran passed away on Friday morning after a battle with illness, following the deaths of veteran performers Saroja Devi and Kota Srinivasa Rao. Since Thursday morning, the director Velu Prabhakaran has been in serious health. He was under close medical observation. His condition was very severe and steadily declined. After being subjected to ongoing monitoring, he eventually passed away.

Known for his films like Nalaya Manithan, Kadavul, Puratchikkaaran, and Kadhal Kadhai, Velu Prabhakaran had explored the themes of atheism, caste, and sexuality in his films, thus courting both controversy and acclaim in his career.

Velu Prabhakaran began as a cinematographer and shot films like Ivargal Vithyasamanavargal and Matravai Neril. It was with the 1989 horror film Nalaya Manithan Velu Prabhakaran made his directorial debut. The film starred Prabhu, Ajay Rathnam, Amala and others. He subsequently made a sequel for it called Adhisaya Manithan in 1990. Subsequently, Velu Prabhakaran had worked as both cinematographer and director in Tamil industry. While his last directorial was the 2017 Tamil film Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary, Velu Prabhakaran continued to act in films. He had appeared in Tamil films like Cadaver, Pizza 3: The Mummy, Raid and Jango. He was recently seen in the 2024 superhuman film Weapon.

Velu Prabhakaran funeral details

Velu Prabhakaran’s mortal remains will be kept for public homage at his residence in Valasaravakkam, Chennai from Saturday evening (July 19) to Sunday afternoon (July 20), followed by the cremation. He is survived by his loved ones.

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