Veteran Malayalam filmmaker, screenwriter and storyteller R. Sarath passed away on 7 September 2026 at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, while undergoing treatment for health-related ailments. He was 65. His death was condoled by the FEFKA Directors’ Union and members of the Malayalam film industry. Sarath made his feature-film debut with Sayahnam (2000), which earned the Indira Gandhi Award for Best First Film of a Director and seven Kerala State Film Awards. The film was also screened at the Munich International Film Festival. His other notable films included Sthithi, Sheelabathi, Buddhanum Chaplinum Chirikkunnu, Swayam and Paradise. His work extended beyond feature films to short films and documentaries. His 2011 film The Desire – A Journey of a Woman won the Best Narrative Feature Film award at the Geneva International Film Festival. His documentary work on Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings also received international attention, while his research on mural paintings earned him a Junior Fellowship from the Government of India.