Chennai, May 17:
Popular Tamil film producer K. Rajan died by suicide on Sunday, May 17, in Chennai. He was 85. Police have registered a case and an investigation is currently underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to his death.
According to a senior city police official, Rajan was returning to his hotel in a car when he reportedly asked the driver to stop on a bridge. He then allegedly jumped into the river. The veteran producer had been living separately from his family and was staying at a private hotel at the time, the official added.
Upon receiving information, the Adyar police, along with personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, rushed to the spot and recovered the body. It was later sent to the Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem examination. Authorities have initiated a probe into the incident.
K. Rajan was a familiar and outspoken figure in the Tamil film industry, often seen voicing his opinions at cinema-related events. Over the course of his career, he worked as a producer, actor, director, and writer. He began his journey in cinema by producing Brammacharigal in 1983 and made his acting debut in Michael Raj (1987), starring Raghuvaran.
In the following years, Rajan contributed as a writer to films such as Thangamana Thangachi (1991) and Chinna Poovai Killathe (1992). He also directed Namma Ooru Mariamma (1991), featuring Nizhalgal Ravi and Sarathkumar. Around the early 2000s, he produced films including Doubles (2000), Aval Paavam (2000), and Ninaikkatha Naalillai (2001), and later directed Unarchigal in 2005.
Though he helmed only a limited number of projects, Rajan remained active in the industry and appeared in over 18 films. He was last seen on screen in the 2023 releases Thunivu, starring Ajith Kumar, and Bakasuran, featuring Selvaraghavan.