Naranipuzha Shanavas passes away; Sufiyum Sujatayum actor Aditi Rao Hydari, Vijay Babu pay tribute

Malayalam director-screenwriter Naranipuzha Shanavas passed away in Kochi late on Wednesday night. Actress Aditi Rao Hydari announced the death of the director on her Instagram. She shared pictures with the director and wrote that he was as kind and sensitive as his stories. Condoling the demise of Naranipuzha Shanavas, the actress even hoped that his “Sufi soul” finds a place as beautiful as the one he created for them in Sufiyum Sujatayum. Aditi played the female lead in Sufiyum Sujatayum directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas. See the post

Actor Vijay Babu also expressed his sorrow over the untimely demise of Naranipuzha Shanavas. In a message in Malayalam, the actor wrote, “You have gone, leaving behind a lifetime of memories and a lot of stories you told me. Our Sufi..” He added, “We tried our best for u Shaanu … love u lots.”

Actors Jayasurya and Siddique, who played pivotal roles in Sufiyum Sujatayum, also expressed their sorrow over the death of the director.

According to a report by The News Minute, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also expressed grief over the death of Naranipuzha Shanavas. “Malayalam cinema has lost a promising filmmaker,” the CM said. Naranipuzha Shanavas was on ventilator support at a Coimbatore hospital. He was brought to Kochi’s Aster Medcity on Wednesday after he was declared brain dead. The director, who was in his early 40s, was on the sets of a film in Palakkad’s Attapadi when he suffered a heart attack. He went into a cardiogenic shock on Monday. Shanavas, who hails from Naranippuzha in Malappuram, made his directorial debut in 2015 with the critically acclaimed film Karie. He came to the limelight for Sufiyum Sujatayum starring Jayasurya, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Dev Mohan. Bankrolled by Vijay Babu under his production banner Friday Film House, the film was released on 3 July 2020 and is the first Malayalam film directly released on the OTT platform.