Malayalam screenwriter and director Dennis Joseph passes away

Veteran Malayalam screenwriter and director Dennis Joseph passed away on Monday. The 64-year-old breathed his last by evening at a private hospital in Kottayam. He was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest at home.

Dennis Joseph is one of the most celebrated screenwriters in the history of mainstream Malayalam cinema. It was his scripts and the powerful characters he sketched that elevated Mohanlal and Mammootty to superstar status through ‘Rajavinte Makan’ and ‘New Delhi’. He has penned several memorable films like ‘Nirakoottu’, ‘Kottayam Kunjachan’, ‘Nair Saab’, ‘Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar’, ‘No.20 Madras Mail’, ‘Aakashadhoothu’, ‘FIR’ etc.

Dennis Joseph has also directed five films. He made his directorial debut with the superhit film ‘Manu Uncle’, which also won the National Film Award for Best Children’s Film and the Kerala State Film Award for the Best Children’s Film. His last outing as a screenwriter was the Priyadarshan directorial ‘Geethanjali’.

Dennis Joseph was eyeing to make a comeback with ‘Powerstar’, a big-scale action film starring Babu Antony as the lead. Omar Lulu was supposed to direct the film. Though the project was planned to begin last year itself, it got delayed due to the pandemic. There were also talks about the veteran planning to make a Mammootty film.

Dennis Joseph’s untimely passing away will definitely leave an irreparable void in Malayalam cinema.