Kollam: Malayalam actor and director E A Rajendran passed away at Pattathanam here on Thursday. He had been undergoing treatment for an illness for a long time. The funeral will be held on Friday at his native place in Thrithallur, Thrissur. 

Rajendran, along with his wife Sandhya, was deeply rooted in theatre before becoming active in films. He was the brother-in-law of Mukesh, MLA, and son-in-law of noted theatre personality O Madhavan. Though he began his film journey in 1981 with Greeshmam, directed by V R Gopinath, he made a notable return only after a hiatus with Kaliyattam, directed by Jayaraj. He went on to act in around 60 films, including Pranayavarnangal, Daya, and Pattabhishekam, often portraying memorable villain and character roles.

His last appearance was in Jayaraj’s Oru Perumgaliyattam. Concerns had been raised about his health after his frail appearance while voting in the AMMA elections last year. However, Rajendran and his wife later clarified that his weight loss was due to medical advice to manage sugar levels.

Born in Engoor in Thrithallur, Thrissur, to Ayyappan and Sumathi, Rajendran showed an early inclination towards the arts. He was actively involved in school theatre during his time at Thrithallur UP School. After college, he joined the National School of Drama in Delhi, graduating with first rank, and later pursued a television course at the Film Institute in Pune.

His entry into professional theatre was shaped after his marriage to Sandhya. The couple became central to the activities of Kalidasa Kalakendram, a troupe founded by O Madhavan in Kollam. Rajendran adapted a Russian novel into a stage play with the support of playwright Jose Chirammal, which won the Kerala state government award for best play in 1987. For several years, Rajendran and Sandhya were the leading performers of the troupe.

In addition to his artistic work, Rajendran served as chairman of the State Horticulture Corporation. He also won the Best Director award at the Venjaramoodu Ramachandran Memorial State Professional Drama Festival in 2010 for the play Ramanan.

He is survived by his wife Sandhya and son Divyadarshan.