Journalist and screenwriter Sreevaraham Balakrishnan passes away

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prominent story writer, teacher and film critic Sreevaraham Balakrishnan (93) passed away. He passed away at 9 am today at 'Chitra' (TSGRA12) near Thycaud Model School.
He was an English teacher at Mattannur Pazhassi Raja NSS College and Dhanuvachapuram NSS College. He has worked as the PRO of Kerala governors from Sikander Bakht to P. Sathasivam for 17 years. He wrote the screenplay and dialogues for the films Swathi Thirunal, Snehapurvam Meera and Aswathi. He was the one who wrote the dialogues for Elavancode Desam.

When Vaikom Muhammed Basheer's Poovambazham and Lalithambika Antharjanam's Manikkan were made into telefilms and when K Surendran's Maranam Durbalam was made into a serial, the screenplay was written by none other than Sreevaraham. He also wrote the script for 'Prathisandhi', directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan on family planning. It was for the PRD.

His reviews published in English are comprehensive. Abdullakutty and Nadeemadhyathetham Vare are collections of his short stories. Sreevaraham Balakrishnan was behind the birth of Chitralekha, the first film society in Kerala, along with Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Kulathur Bhaskaran Nair.

He has received the State Television Award and the Abu Dhabi Shakti Award. Wife: P.S. Radha. Children: Journalist Shyamkrishna, Soumyakrishna (Teacher, Abu Dhabi). Son-in-law: Shyamkumar (Abu Dhabi). The late actor and playwright P Balachandran is his brother-in-law. The body will be kept at his residence for public homage tomorrow at 10 am. The funeral will be held tomorrow at 3.30 pm at Thycaud Shantikavadam.