On Friday, Velu Prabhakaran, a Tamil film director, cinematographer, and performer, passed away at a Chennai private hospital. He was 68 years old. The team of the seasoned Kollywood actor announced on Thursday that he was hospitalized in severe condition and receiving round-the-clock care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

At the age of 68, Velu Prabhakaran passes away

"Director Velu Prabhakaran has been in a critical condition since this morning," Velu's crew posted on X (previously Twitter) on Thursday night, confirming the filmmaker-actor's condition. Doctors have said that his condition is still extremely serious and needs ongoing monitoring, even though he is still breathing and under intensive medical care.

The news of his passing was verified by an industry tracker on Friday morning, who wrote, "Veteran Tamil Filmmaker the controversial #VeluPrabhakaran (68) passed away in Chennai due to health issues. Prabhakaran's films, such Kadavul, Nalaya Manithan, and Kadhal Kadhai, were famous for addressing contentious social issues like atheism, caste, and sexuality. Additionally, India Today received confirmation from Velu's family that he passed away from a protracted illness.

On Sunday night, his last rites will be held at the Porur crematorium. From Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, his body will be on display for the public to pay their respects in Chennai's Valasaravakkam.

Regarding Velu Prabhakaran

Velu started out as a cinematographer for the 1980 movie Ivargal Vithyasamanavargal before becoming a director in 1989 with the film Nalaya Manithan. In 1990, he created Adhisaya Manithan, the sequel to the movie. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Velu also experimented with producing action films.

Velu was renowned throughout his career for producing films that challenged the caste system and sexual morality. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) also had problems with some of the dialogues and scenes in his 2004 film Kadhal Arangam, which was released in 2009 as Kadhal Kadhai. The 2017 movie Oru Iyakkunarin Kadhal Diary was Velu's final production as a filmmaker. In 2025, Gajaana was his last picture as an actor.

Prior to this, Velu was wed to P Jayadevi, an actor and director. At the age of 60, in June 2017, he wed Shirley Das, an actress who is half his age and played a role in his movie Kadhal Kadhai.

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