Veteran Tamil actor-filmmaker Velu Prabhakaran passes away

Some of Velu Prabhakaran’s popular movies include Nalaya Manithan, Puratchikkaaran, Asuran and Rajali. He was last seen in the 2025 film Gajaana.

Celebrities and fans took to social media to mourn the demise of Velu Prabhakaran.

National Award-winning filmmaker Seenu Ramasamy wrote on X, “I am saddened by the news of the passing of progressive thinker, cinematographer, and director Velu Prabhakaran. My deepest condolences to all those mourning his loss.” Industry tracker Sreedhar Pillai shared via X, “Prabhakaran was known for his socially provocative films such as Nalaya Manithan, Kadavul, Kadhal Kadhai, where he explored themes like atheism, caste & sexuality.” User@Sylvianism posted on X, “Say whatever, Velu Prabhakaran stayed true to his guts without compromise. Lesser known fact: He was the cinematographer for GM Kumar’s Pickpocket and Uruvam. His Nalaya Manithan introduced a new genre, while Kadavul will remain memorable. And, Kadavul’s music was Ilaiyaraaja.” Another tweet read, “Nalaya Manidhan scared the shit out of me when i was young. I went to sleep early so that I could sleep when everyone else was awake. I was scared for life for a week thinking what could i do if someone like that came to kill me. RIP Velu Prabhakaran.”

Members of the public may pay their respects to Velu Prabhakaran at his residence in Valasaravakkam, Chennai, on Saturday. Prabhakaran’s last rites will be held on July 20.