R. Sarath (Film Director and Screenwriter) Age, Death, Children, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Profession	• Film Director • Screenplay Writer
Known for	His award-winning debut feature film Sayahnam (2000) and his important research into traditional Kerala murals
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Light Brown
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Career
Debut	Film: Sayahnam (2000) as a director
Last Film	Burial of Dreams (2024)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Kerala State Film Award in the category Best Film for Sayahnam (2000) • Kerala State Film Award in the category Best Story for Sayahnam (2000) • National Film Award in the category Best Feature Film in Malayalam for Sayahnam (2000) • Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director for Sayahnam (2000) • Kerala State Film Award in the category Second Best Film for Sthithi (2002) • Kerala State Film Award in the category Best Short Film for Bhoomikkoru Charamageetham • Best Narrative Feature Film Award at the Geneva International Film Festival for The Desire (2011)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	14 July 1954 (Wednesday)
Birthplace	Vilakkudy, Kollam, Kerala, India
Date of Death	7 September 2026 (Monday)
Place of Death	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Age (at the time of death)	65 Years
Death Cause	Kidney-related illness
Zodiac sign	Cancer
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
College/University	Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram
Educational Qualification	A post graduate degree in English Literature
Religion	Hinduism
Social Media	Facebook
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Married
Family
Children	Son(s)- 2

Some Lesser Known Facts About R. Sarath

• R. Sarath was born and raised in Vilakkudy in Kollam district, Kerala.

• He pursued higher studies in English Literature and Journalism and also received formal training in filmmaking and journalism.

• Before entering cinema. Sarath worked as a journalist and was associated with the Malayalam publication Kalakaumudi for several years.

• He began his career as a a documentary filmmaker and also worked on short films and other visual-media projects before directing feature films.

• During his early career, he was associated with filmmaker Shaji N. Karun as an assistant during his early year.

• In 1996, while working on his documentary The Painted Epics, Sarath discovered rare mural paintings of Raja Ravi Varma at Kilunoor temple.

• His research into Kerala’s traditional mural paintings earned him a Junior Fellowship from the Government of India’s Department of Culture.

• Before moving fully into feature films, Sarath worked on several documentaries, short films, plays, and multimedia projects.

• In 2000, Sarath made his film debut with Sayahnam (Twilight), which he both directed and wrote.

• The film gained him recognition by winning seven Kerala State Film Awards and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

• He also received the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director to the film.

• In 2001, his film Sayahnam was screened in the competition section of the Munich International Film Festival.

• In 2002, he second feature film, Sthithi (Plight) was screened at various international festivals, including Bangkok International Film Festival.

• In 2005, Sarath third film, Seelabathi was selected for the Asia Pacific Film festival in Taiwan.

• In 2007, he served as the Festival Director of the International Union of Kerala Film Festival (IUKEF) in London.

• In 2011, Sarath directed and wrote the Indo-Chinese co-production The Desire: A Journey of a Woman starring Shilpa Shetty, Xia Yu, Anupam Kher and Jaya Prada. The film premiered at various international film festivals and received numerous honours.

• In 2012, Sarath directed Parudeesa (Paradise), a film dealing with conflicts between orthodox and unorthodox religious beliefs. However, the film generated controversy, it was also praised for its positive portrayal of Christianity and received international festival recognition.

• In 2014, he directed Buddhanum Chaplinum Chirikkunnu (Buddha and Chaplin smiles), a film about Charlie Chaplin and his legacy.

• Alongside filmmaking, Sarath had a long career in the Government of Kerala’s Information and Public relation Department and retired as Deputy Director.

• He also served as Director of MPCC Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan and as a Secretary of Bharat Bhavan under Kerala’s Department of Culture.

• On 7 September 2026, R. Sarath passed away, while undergoing treatment for kidney related illness at a private hospital in Thiruvanathapuram

• He is survived by his wife and two sons.