Malayalam director Shafi, who was admitted to a hospital in Kochi after suffering a stroke, passed away in the early hours of Sunday.
Malayalam director Shafi, who was admitted to a hospital in Kochi after suffering a stroke, passed away in the early hours of Sunday.
Malayalam director Shafi, known for delivering superhits like ‘Kalyanaraman’ and ‘Pulival Kalyanam’, passed away on Sunday. He was 56. He was admitted to a private hospital in Kochi after suffering a stroke on January 16, and was in critical condition for a few days. He breated his last at 12:25 am on Sunday, reports PTI.
Actor Vishnu Unnikrishnan confirmed the news of Shafi’s demise by sharing a post on his Facebook page. “Shafi sir has departed, leaving behind laughter and unforgettable stories that will be cherished forever. Tributes!!,” he wrote.
Born as M. H. Rasheed, he was popularly known as Shafi, and is the younger brother of noted screenwriter and director Rafi, one half of the writer duo Rafi-Mecartin. Shafi’s uncle was the late renowned filmmaker Siddique. According to PTI, Shafi’s body has been moved to his residence in Edappally, Kochi. It will be kept at the Cochin Service Co-Operative Bank Hall in Kaloor from 9 am to 12 pm on Sunday for the public to offer their final respects. The cremation will take place at 4 pm on Sunday at the Kaloor Muslim Juma Masjid.
Shafi forayed into the Malayalam film industry in 1995 through ‘Aadyathe Kanmani’ for which he assisted screenwriter duo Rafi-Meccartin and director Rajasenan. He worked as an assistant director for 5 more Malayalam movies before making his directorial debut in 2001 through the film ‘One Man Show’ starring Jayaram, Lal, and Samyukta Varma. In his career span of over two decades, Shafi directed a handful of superhit comedy films. His collaborations with actor Dileep led to several blockbusters, such as ‘Kalyanaraman’ (2002), ‘Marykkundoru Kunjaadu’ (2010), and ‘Two Countries’ (2015). Mammootty-starrer Thommanum Makkalum (2005) is yet another notable film directed by Shafi. His other popular films include Pulival Kalyanam (2003), Mayavi (2007), Chattambinadu (2009), among others.
Apart from collaborating with some of the top names of Malayalam cinema, Shafi also directed a Tamil film ‘Majaa’ (2005), starring Vikram, Pasupathy, and Asin. It was the official remake of his own film ‘Thommanum Makkalum.’ His last directorial venture was the 2022 film ‘Aanandam Paramanandam.’
Shafi is survived by his wife Shameela and their daughters Aleema and Salma.
