Farewell to legends: Malayalam stars we lost this year

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P Jayachandran (January 9)

Veteran playback singer P Jayachandran passed away on January 9, 2025, leaving behind a six-decade legacy of soulful songs across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. His music won multiple National and State awards, including the JC Daniel Award.

Image Credit: Manorama

Filmmaker Shafi, known for hit comedies like ‘Kalyanaraman’, ‘Marykkundoru Kunjaadu’, and ‘Two Countries’, passed away on January 25, 2025. Over two decades, he mastered mainstream humour, winning audiences with relatable and situational comedy.

Image Credit: Manorama

Shaji N Karun (April 28)

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker and cinematographer Shaji N Karun passed away on April 28, 2025. His films, including ‘Piravi’, ‘Swaham’, and ‘Vanaprastham’, were celebrated at Cannes and earned him multiple National Awards for their emotional depth and visual poetry.

Image Credit: Manorama

Kalabhavan Navas (August 1)

Actor and mimicry artist Kalabhavan Navas, known for films like ‘Mattupetti Machan’, ‘Junior Mandrake’, and ‘Amma Ammayi Amma’, passed away on August 1, 2025. A beloved performer on stage and screen, he hailed from a family rooted in theatre.

Image Credit: Manorama

Shanawas (August 4)

Actor Shanawas, son of Prem Nazir, passed away on August 4, 2025. With over 50 films including ‘Premageethangal’, ‘China Town’, and ‘Jana Gana Mana’, he was also a familiar face on television in serials like ‘Shankhumukham’ and ‘Sathyameva Jayathe’.

Image Credit: Manorama

Sreenivasan (December 20)

Writer, actor, and filmmaker Sreenivasan passed away on December 20, 2025. Across nearly five decades, he shaped Malayalam cinema with films like ‘Nadodikkattu’, ‘Sandesam’, and ‘Njan Prakashan’, blending humour, empathy, and sharp social insight.

Image Credit: Manorama

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