From P Jayachandran to Sreenivasan: Remembering Malayalam artistes who left us in 2025
From a singer whose voice carried generations of emotion to filmmakers and performers who left an indelible mark on popular and parallel cinema alike, these were losses that left the industry poorer, but richer in memory.
From a singer whose voice carried generations of emotion to filmmakers and performers who left an indelible mark on popular and parallel cinema alike, these were losses that left the industry poorer, but richer in memory.
From a singer whose voice carried generations of emotion to filmmakers and performers who left an indelible mark on popular and parallel cinema alike, these were losses that left the industry poorer, but richer in memory.
The year 2025 marked a period of quiet grief for Malayalam cinema. Across months, the industry lost artists who shaped its sound, humour, political voice, and visual language. From a singer whose voice carried generations of emotion to filmmakers and performers who left an indelible mark on popular and parallel cinema alike, these were losses that left the industry poorer, but richer in memory.
Here is a look at the Malayalam artistes who passed away in 2025.
P Jayachandran (January 9)
Playback singer P Jayachandran, one of the most recognisable and enduring voices in Indian cinema, passed away on January 9, 2025. For over six decades, his singing defined tenderness, longing, and devotion across languages and generations. His voice carried an unmistakable warmth, whether in romantic ballads or spiritual compositions.
Jayachandran sang more than 16,000 songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. His contribution was recognised with numerous honours, including the National Film Award for Best Playback Singer, five Kerala State Film Awards, the JC Daniel Award from the Government of Kerala, the Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu, and four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Shafi (January 25)
Filmmaker Shafi, best known for his popular comedies that drew families back to theatres, passed away on January 25, 2025. He entered cinema as an assistant director under Rajasenan before making his directorial debut with ‘One Man Show’ in 2001.
Over the next two decades, Shafi built a career centred on humour that was accessible, situational, and rooted in everyday chaos. His collaborations with actor Dileep produced several commercial successes, including ‘Kalyanaraman’, ‘Marykkundoru Kunjaadu’, and ‘Two Countries’. At his best, Shafi’s films understood the rhythms of mainstream comedy and the pulse of popular audiences.
Shaji N Karun (April 28)
Internationally celebrated filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji N Karun passed away on April 28, 2025. A pioneer of visual storytelling in Indian cinema, his films were marked by silence, landscape, and an unhurried gaze that trusted the audience to sit with emotion.
As a director, he remained fiercely committed to his artistic choices, refusing to compromise on pace or length. His films ‘Piravi’, ‘Swaham’, and ‘Vanaprastham’ were selected for official sections at the Cannes Film Festival in successive years, an exceptional achievement. He received the National Film Award for Best Director for ‘Piravi’ and three National Awards for Best Feature Film for ‘Piravi’, ‘Vanaprastham’, and ‘Kutty Srank’, along with multiple Kerala State Film Awards.
Kalabhavan Navas (August 1)
Actor and mimicry artiste Kalabhavan Navas passed away on August 1, 2025. A familiar face in comedy and supporting roles, Navas brought warmth and spontaneity to films such as ‘Mattupetti Machan’, ‘Junior Mandrake’, and ‘Amma Ammayi Amma’.
He first gained popularity through mimicry stages at Kalabhavan before making his film debut with ‘Chaithanyam’ in 1995. Beyond cinema, he remained active in television and stage performances. The son of theatre actor Aboobacker, Navas belonged to a family deeply rooted in performance.
Shanawas (August 4)
Actor Shanawas, son of Malayalam cinema legend Prem Nazir, passed away on August 4, 2025. He made his debut with ‘Premageethangal’ in 1981 and went on to appear in over 50 films in Malayalam and Tamil.
His career included films such as ‘Mazhanilavu’, ‘Eeyugam’, ‘Maniyara’, ‘Neelagiri’, ‘Garbhashreemaan’, and ‘Zachariyayude Garbhinikal’. After stepping away from cinema for a period, he returned with ‘China Town’ in 2011. His final appearance was in ‘Jana Gana Mana’. Shanawas was also a familiar presence on television, acting in serials like ‘Shankhumukham’, ‘Velutha Kathreena’, ‘Kadamatathu Kathanar’, and ‘Sathyameva Jayathe’.
Sreenivasan (December 20)
Writer, actor, and filmmaker Sreenivasan passed away on December 20, 2025, bringing to a close one of the most influential careers in Malayalam cinema. Few artists shaped the industry’s political voice and comic intelligence the way he did.
Across nearly five decades, Sreenivasan combined biting satire with empathy, creating characters and stories that mirrored society without moral posturing. He acted in more than 225 films and wrote screenplays that have become cultural touchstones, including ‘Odaruthammava Aalariyam’, ‘Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam’, ‘Gandhinagar 2nd Street’, ‘Nadodikkattu’, ‘Pattanapravesham’, ‘Varavelpu’, ‘Thalayana Manthram’, ‘Sandesam’, ‘Midhunam’, ‘Mazhayethum Munpe’, ‘Azhakiya Ravanan’, ‘Oru Maravathoor Kanavu’, ‘Udayananu Tharam’, ‘Katha Parayumpol’, and ‘Njan Prakashan’. His voice, both as a writer and performer, remains woven into the cultural memory of Malayalam cinema.