THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Noted film director AB Raj (Raj Antony Bhaskar) passed away. He was active in the film industry between 1951 and 1986. Raj was born in 1929 as the fourth child of Alappuzha native Bhagyanatha Pillai and Rajamma. He sought studies in various places in Tamil Nadu. Without completing his academics, Raj entered cinema in 1947. He was in Ceylon for 11 years when he directed 11 Simhala movies.

Raj's first movie was 'Kaliyalla Kalyanam'. He went on to direct movies like Kannur Delux, Danger Biscuit, Ezhuthatha Kadha, Lottery Ticket, Shasthram Jayichu Manushyan Thottu, Pachanotukal, Kazhukan, Irumbazhikal, Suryavamsham, Agnisharam, Adimachangala, Football Champion, Honeymoon, Rahasyarathri, Ullasayathra, Hello Darling, Ashtami Rohini, Chief Guest, Tourist Bungalow, Light House, Aakrosham, Thaalam Thettiya Tharattu. He directed 65 Malayalam movies, of which the majority were successes in the box office.

He was as an assistant to Jagtap Nottani. Raj has worked as an assistant director in the famous movie 'Bridge In the River Quay' directed by David Lynn.

Thulliyodum Pulliman, the Tamil remake of Chirikkudukka, was directed by Raj. Filmmakers like Hariharan, IV Sasi, P Chandrakumar, and Rajasekharan are disciples of AB Raj.

Raj's wife Sarojini passed away in 1993. Children: Jayapal, Manoj, Saranya (actress).