Veteran Malayalam scriptwriter T. Damodaran dead

Kozhikode: T. Damodaran, known for scripting successful films like `Angaadi`, `Ee Nadu` and `Avanazhi`, died Wednesday at his residence here, according to family sources. He was 77.

He is survived by three daughters, including Deedi Damodaran, an upcoming scriptwriter. In a career spanning more than three decades, he scripted close to 50 Malayalam films. He is billed to have created the current superstars of Malayalam cinema - Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi. The trio, to a large extent, owes their current status to Damodaran`s scripts. He teamed up with master director I.V. Sasi and Priyadarshan in the 1980s and 1990s to write a string of successes for the three. Damodaran and Sasi also teamed up to produce hit films like "Angadi", "Eee Nadu", "Vartha", "Avanazhi", "Inspector Balram", "1921", "Adimakal Udamakal", and "Balram vs. Taradas". He and Priyadarshan produced hit movies like `Aryan`, `Advaitham`, `Abhimanyu`, and `Kala Pani`. Damodaran started his career as a physical education teacher at a school here before starting his career as a scriptwriter for numerous Malayalam dramas and then moving into the film industry. IANS