In the age of instant judgment and social media outrage, personal relationships are often flattened into public narratives. Actor Kalidas Jayaram recently addressed one such instance, speaking out against the criticism directed at his father, Jayaram, for not attending the funeral of veteran writer actor Sreenivasan.
Jayaram and Sreenivasan shared a decades-long creative association that helped define Malayalam cinema in the 1990s. Films written by Sreenivasan and headlined by Jayaram are still revisited for their humour and sharp social observations. Yet, following Sreenivasan’s death in December 2025, attention shifted away from that legacy to Jayaram’s absence at the funeral, which was attended by senior figures including Mammootty and Mohanlal.
Speaking during a recent conversation with Baradwaj Rangan for Galatta Plus, Kalidas made it clear that the online backlash was misplaced. “Only they know the equation between them. They don’t have to explain it to anyone,” he said, responding to the assumptions circulating on social media.
Kalidas also pointed to the tendency of online discourse to reduce complex personal situations to simplistic conclusions. “There might be so many reasons for that. Even I don’t know,” he added, suggesting that the reasons behind Jayaram’s absence were not for public consumption.
Jayaram himself, in the same interaction, was reflecting on Malayalam cinema’s 1990s phase and the lasting appeal of films written by Sreenivasan. He noted that many of those works continue to find new audiences years after their release, underlining the enduring impact of the writer actor’s voice. During the discussion, Jayaram briefly mentioned that he was unable to attend Sreenivasan’s funeral.
The Jayaram–Sreenivasan collaboration produced several widely loved films, including ‘Sandesham’, ‘Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu’, and ‘Nagarangalil Chennu Raparkam’. Together, they became part of a cinema movement that blended satire, social critique, and mainstream appeal, leaving behind a body of work that remains culturally relevant.
Away from the controversy, Jayaram is also set to mark a personal and professional milestone. He will soon share the screen with Kalidas in ‘Aashakal Aayiram’, slated for release on January 6. The film is particularly significant as it brings the father and son together on screen for the first time in 22 years.
Directed by G Prajeeth, known for ‘A Northern Selfie’ and ‘Sathyam Paranja Vishwasikkuvo?’, the film is produced by Gokulam Gopalan under the banner of Sree Gokulam Movies.