Kochi: Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Shafi, aged 56, passed away on Sunday at Aster Medicity. Born M H Rasheed, Shafi was widely recognized for his direction of comedy films. He had been recovering from a stroke and had undergone brain surgery, after which he was placed on a ventilator.
Shafi began his career in the mid-1990s, working as an assistant to director Rajasenan and the Rafi-Mecartin duo. He made his directorial debut in 2001 with One Man Show and went on to direct more than 10 successful films. Some of his most popular works include Kalyanaraman (2002), Pulival Kalyanam (2003), Thommanum Makkalum (2005), Mayavi (2007), Chattambinadu (2009), and Two Countries (2015). His latest film was Aanandam Paramanandam in 2022.
Shafi was the younger brother of Rafi, part of the famed Rafi-Mecartin filmmaking duo. Known for his sense of humor and creativity, Shafi’s films were cherished by audiences across Kerala.