K Sivasankar, the award-winning choreographer, died during the late hours of Sunday. The 72-year-old had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Hyderabad after he tested positive for Covid-19.
He is survived by his wife and two sons.
Sivasankar had tested positive for the virus about a week back and was hospitalised. Speaking to Silverscreen India earlier, his son, Ajay Krishna, had said that the choreographer was under ventilator support in the Intensive Care Unit at AIG Hospital. He had also mentioned that his father’s condition was critical. Ajay had further added that his brother and mother had also contracted the virus. While the former was also admitted to the same hospital, Sivasankar’s wife was under home quarantine.
Actors Sonu Sood, Chiranjeevi, and Dhanush, as well as the Movie Artists Association had extended financial assistance and support to the choreographer after his hospitalisation. However, on Sunday, Sivasankar breathed his last.
A noted choreographer, Sivasankar won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for his work in filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s historical fantasy action film Magadheera (2008). He was also known for choreographing the super hit song Manmadha Rasa in the 2003 Tamil film Thiruda Thirudi, featuring Dhanush and Chaya Singh. The song was an instant hit upon release.
Sivasankar has won four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for his work in the films Poove Unakkaga (1996), Vishwa Thulasi (2004), Varalaaru (2006), and Uliyin Osai (2008).
Apart from his choreography work, Sivasankar also acted in a few films. He shared screen space with actor Ajith Kumar in Varalaaru. The choreographer has also appeared in filmmaker Bala’s Paradesi (2013) and Suriya-starrer Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, among others.
Speaking to Silverscreen India, director Vikraman, who collaborated with Sivasankar on films like Poove Unakkaga and Suryavamsam, said, “He had mastered all dance forms, both the popular ones used in cinema and classical forms. We first collaborated on the song Puthu Roja Puthiruchu for my film Gokulam. We filmed the song on busy Bengaluru roads and he still finished it quickly. Most of the songs he choreographed were completed within three days. Following this, we collaborated on many more songs. He was known for his simplicity and for shooting dance sequences within budget. His passing is a big loss for cinema.”
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Filmmaker Rambhala, whose Dhilluku Dhuddu 2 and upcoming film Idiot feature the late choreographer as an actor, said, “He was a down-to-earth person despite working in big films. Though he had achieved so much, he was constantly searching for opportunities and was in touch with me. Secondly, despite his age, he was active on the sets and very jovial in nature. He treated everyone like his children and offered valuable advice to upcoming artists.”
Rambhala also praised the patience and perseverance of Sivasankar, and mentioned that he never complained even during long shooting schedules.
Director Caarthick Raju – whose bilinguals, Kannaadi (Ninu Veedani Needanu Nene) and the upcoming Soorpanagai (Nene Naa), feature Sivasankar – noted that the choreographer in him was always alive, even when he was working as an actor. “He was always eager to hear the songs, even if he was acting in the film. I last saw him when he was dubbing for my film about 3-4 months back. He was a very friendly master,” he added.
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Caarthick also revealed that Sivasankar appears as a zamindar in Soorpanagai, and he had to sport heavy make-up and costumes, along with a wig, for the film. “He also has a long scene in the film for which he had to lie under the sun the whole time. But he did all of that without a word of complaint at his age,” the filmmaker recalled.
Several members of the Indian film fraternity paid their respects to the choreographer on social media, including actors Kajal Aggarwal, Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Nandita Swetha, and Sonu Sood, among many others.
Sivasankar’s final rites are expected to be held on Monday afternoon.