Award-Winning Filmmaker R. Sarath Passes Away at 65

Filmmaker R. Sarath, known for his contemplative cinema addressing environmental and social issues, passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on September 7, 2026.

His debut film, Sayahnam (2000), won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

Sarath served in the Kerala government’s Information and Public Relations Department and was the Festival Director of the International Union of Film Critics Festival in London in 2007.