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Tamil film producer K. Rajan dies by suicide in Chennai at 85

Published 18 May 2026

Veteran Tamil film producer, director, and actor K. Rajan died by suicide in Chennai on Sunday. He was 85.

According to police sources, Rajan jumped from the ThiruViKa bridge into the Adyar River. Fire and rescue personnel recovered his body, and the Adyar Police have registered a case and are investigating. The body was sent for a postmortem examination, and authorities stated the exact motive remains unknown. He is survived by his son, actor Prabhukanth.

Rajan was a versatile and respected figure in the Tamil film industry, known for his work across multiple roles. He began his career by producing the film Brammacharigal in 1983 and later produced notable projects such as Doubles, Aval Paavam 2000, and Ninaikatha Naalillai. His directorial debut was Namma Ooru Mariamma in 1991, and he also directed Unarchigal in 2005.

Beyond his creative work, Rajan was a prominent and outspoken voice on industry issues. He served as president of a distributors' association and was widely recognized for his fierce critique of the economic model of Tamil cinema. He frequently criticized rising production costs and the exorbitant salaries demanded by top stars, arguing these practices left...

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