Tamil filmmaker Surya Prakash, best known for helming films like Manikkam (1996), Maayi (2000), and Diwan (2003), passed away on Monday. According to news reports, the director suffered a heart attack early in the morning.
Actor Sarath Kumar, with whom Surya collaborated for Maayi and Diwan, took to social media on Monday to express his condolences.
“I had just spoken to him yesterday, and the news of his sudden demise has left me in a state of shock and grief,” wrote Sarath.
Surya made his foray into filmmaking with the 1996 Rajkiran-starrer Manikkam. He followed it up with Maayi, headlined by Sarath and Meena, which was critically acclaimed and declared a hit at the box office. The film was even remade in Telugu as Simharasi (2001) and in Kannada as Narasimha (2012).
In 2002, Surya ventured into Telugu cinema with Bharatasimha Reddy (starring Rajasekhar), but the film failed to launch a career for the director in Telugu. 2003’s Diwan saw Surya reunite with Sarath Kumar, after which the filmmaker took a long haitus from filmmaking, returning only in 2015 for Adhibar, starring Jeevan.
Details regarding Prakash’s final rites are yet to be confirmed.
