Veteran Tamil filmmaker J. Mahendran passes away

J. Mahendran in Nimir (Photo: IMDb)


Veteran Tamil filmmaker J. Mahendran, best known for giving South film industry superstar Rajinikanth his major career breakthrough with Mullum Malarum, died on Tuesday.

The 79-year-old had been critically ill for over a week and had been undergoing treatment at the Apollo hospital.

Regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of Tamil cinema, his work has influenced several filmmakers.

Beginning his career as a screenwriter, he went on to win three National Film awards for Nenjathai Killathe. Mahendran was also an actor and it is said that it was during his college days when he criticised Tamil cinema in front of MGR, that the latter took him home and presented him with a volume of Ponniyin Selvan; that, for him, was the starting point in his career in cinema.

He is survived by his wife Jasmine, son John and daughters Dimple and Anurita.

The funeral is supposed to take place on Tuesday evening.

 

Many politicians and film persons have been posting condolence messages since the news of the veteran filmmaker’s demise.