Filmmaker, screenwriter and cultural administrator R Sarath, known for films such as Sayahnam, Sthithi and Sheelavathi, died at the age of 65 in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, September 7. He was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at KIMS Hospital.
Sarath, a native of Punalur in Kollam district of Kerala, died in the early hours of Monday. He had made a great contribution to Malayalam cinema through his films and work in the cultural and government sectors.
R Sarath’s film journey
Sarath debuted as a director and script writer in the film industry through Sayahnam in the year 2000. The Malayalam film won seven Kerala State Film Awards and Indira Gandhi National Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. Sayahnam was also screened in the competition section of Munich International Film Festival in 2001. The film then made the rounds of several international film festivals, exposing Sarath’s work to audiences outside India.
It was followed by Sthithi in 2003. The film was shown in the Bangkok International Film Festival. His next feature Sheelavathi released in 2006 dealt with several serious social issues. It first screened at the Asia Pacific Film Festival in Taiwan.
Sarath also directed and co-wrote The Desire, A Journey of a Woman, an Indo-Chinese co-production that came out in 2011. The Hindi film traced the story of a woman and was one of his projects that bridged Indian cinema to an international audience.
His filmography includes the 2012 film Paradise. The film was awarded at the Mexican International Film Festival and the Amsterdam Film Festival and continued to be shown at international film festivals. Sarath had also directed Buddhan Chirikkunnu, a film made to celebrate the centenary of actor Charlie Chaplin’s acting career.
Raja Ravi Varma murals, discovery of sarath
Besides his cinematographic work, Sarath was also engaged in research and cultural preservation. While working on his internationally acclaimed documentary The Painted Epics, he came across rare mural paintings attributed to Raja Ravi Varma at the Kilunoor temple. The find resulted in more studies and discussions about the murals.
His research on mural paintings led to a Junior Fellowship from the Cultural Department of the Government of India in 1996. During his career Sarath has won nine international awards, a National Film Award and four Kerala State Film Awards.
His work beyond film
Sarath had held several positions in cultural and administrative fields. He was the deputy director in the Information and Public Relations Department of Kerala and later the director of the MPCC under the Cultural Department.
He was also secretary of Bharat Bhavan, had a hand in state’s cultural activities and administration. Sarath had a post graduate degree in English literature and formal training in film making and journalism. His career included cinema, journalism, cultural research and administration.
His death is the loss of a filmmaker who worked in the straddling of cinema and cultural documentation. His research on mural traditions in Kerala added another dimension to his contribution to the arts.
Also Read: