Sreenivasan’s Age Debate Explained: Records Confirm Malayalam Legend Was 75

The demise of veteran Malayalam filmmaker and actor Sreenivasan triggered not just an outpouring of tributes, but also an unexpected public debate over his real age. While Sreenivasan passed away at the age of 75, conflicting reports about his date of birth led to widespread confusion across media platforms and social media.

Soon after his death, several reports inaccurately stated that Sreenivasan was younger than his actual age, with some even suggesting he was in his late 60s. According to Mathrubhumi, much of this misinformation stemmed from personal-information websites that had incorrectly listed his birth year as 1956. The discrepancy sparked intense discussion online, with users questioning how such a basic detail could be so widely misreported.

Friends and acquaintances recalled that Sreenivasan himself had once responded humorously to such errors, staying true to his trademark wit. When told that websites had shaved a few years off his age, he reportedly joked, “Why miss a chance to be four or five years younger?”—a line that perfectly reflected the self-deprecating satire that defined both his cinema and personality.

To settle the confusion, journalists and researchers revisited archival and academic records. A key reference point was Sreenivasan’s participation in the Calicut University Kannur District Regional Youth Festival on November 30, 1970, where he won the Best Actor award for the play Vyroopyangal. A photograph published in Mathrubhumi on the same day confirmed his presence and age at the time, establishing a reliable timeline of his early career.

Further clarity came from college records. Sreenivasan joined Pazhassi Raja NSS College, Mattannur, on August 14, 1968, to pursue a BA in History and Economics and completed his degree in March 1971. Classmates, including former banker C. Umapathi, corroborated these details, expressing surprise at claims that he was only 69 at the time of his death.

The matter was conclusively resolved through Sreenivasan’s official discharge certificate issued by Pazhassi Raja NSS College, which clearly lists his date of birth as May 2, 1950. This confirms that the celebrated actor-filmmaker was indeed 75 when he passed away.

In a final irony befitting his legacy—seen in films such as Vadakku Nokki Yanthram and Kadha Parayumbol—Sreenivasan continued to provoke thought, debate, and gentle laughter even after his death, reminding audiences why he remains one of Malayalam cinema’s most distinctive voices.