Actor Shanavas, Son Of Malayalam Legend Prem Nazir, Passes Away At 71

Actor Shanavas, known for acting as the lead hero in several Malayalam hits of the 1980s, passed away late last night (August 4) in Thiruvananthapuram. According to reports, he was being treated for kidney related ailments at a hospital there. He was the son of Malayalam superstar and legend Prem Nazir and had started his career in 1981 with Premageethangal, directed by Balachandra Menon. He was 71.

A report on Asianet News said that he was under treatment for the past four years. He had taken a prolonged break from acting after 1991 IV Sasi film Neelagiri, starring Mammootty. He was last seen in 2022’s Jana Gana Mana starring Prithviraj. He had acted in over 50 films, including 11 Tamil films. He has also acted in hit television serials. 

His father Prem Nazir was known as the Evergreen Hero Of Malayalam Cinema, and was a superstar who has acted in over 700 films. Shanavas has acted with his father in as many as 11 films including Ivan Oru Simham. Some of Shanavas’ notable hits include Premageethangal, Mylanji, Mouna Raagam, Manithali, Chithram, China Town, Lal Americayil and many more.

In an interview with Kaumudy TV, he had spoken about how he did not receive any special treatment being the son of Prem Nazir, joking that he would have preferred to have debuted in this era given the marketing support the launch of a star would have received. He also stated that his father had not recommended or made any calls to support his son’s acting career. In his final years, Shanavas was very vocal about how Malayalam cinema and Kerala had not adequately respected or valued his contributions to the field of cinema. Prem Nazir was known for his generous philanthropic activities in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala.