Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Wife Supriya Slams Selfie-Takers At Sreenivasan’s Funeral: 'Grieving Family Deserved Better’

The Malayalam film fraternity is mourning the loss of veteran actor and filmmaker Sreenivasan, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 69. His death has left admirers and colleagues deeply shaken. The final rites were held on Sunday in Kochi, drawing a large gathering of actors, filmmakers and well-wishers. However, the sombre occasion was marred by scenes that prompted strong criticism from Prithviraj Sukumaran’s wife, journalist and producer Supriya Menon, who called out those treating the funeral like a public spectacle.

Supriya Menon calls out behaviour at Sreenivasan's funeral

Taking to her Instagram Stories, Supriya expressed anguish over the lack of privacy afforded to Sreenivasan’s family during their moment of grief. She pointed to the overwhelming presence of cameras and mobile phones, saying the bereaved were denied the space to mourn in peace. “Grief is such a personal emotion. To see a grieving family not have any space to mourn their beloved is so tragic. Multitudes of cameras\mobile phones everywhere. Selfie takers in the corners, people pointing to the actors walking in. Many of whom are mourning their beloved colleague,” she wrote.

She further urged people to introspect and reconsider how far public attention should intrude into private loss. “Don't the dead & the living they leave behind deserve better? What a spectacle every moment of life has become...Cannot imagine the pain of the family who are in the midst of this tragedy. Shouldn't we self reflect & course correct? How much coverage is too much? Do we need to crowd around the last rites beaming it for everyone to see ... a broken down family, trying to say goodbye to their Beloved.”

Remembering Sreenivasan

Sreenivasan, a towering presence in Malayalam cinema as an actor, screenwriter, director and producer, died on December 20 at a private hospital in Kochi after battling illness for some time. He was 69. His funeral was held the following day, December 21.

On Sunday, hundreds gathered at his residence in Kandanad, Kochi, to pay their final respects. The ceremony was attended by prominent names from the industry and public life, including Parvathy Thiruvothu, Renji Panicker, Sathyan Anthikkad, Jagadish and Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Sreenivasan is survived by his wife Vimala, a former schoolteacher, whom he married in 1984, and their two sons. His elder son, Vineeth Sreenivasan, is a well-known singer, actor, producer and director, while his younger son, Dhyan Sreenivasan, has also carved a place for himself as an actor, director and producer. The veteran was last seen on screen this year in Aap Kaise Ho and Nancy Rani, marking the end of an era in Malayalam cinema.