Young Malayalam filmmaker Nayana Sooryan, who had assisted several prominent directors in the industry, was found dead at her residence but the exact cause of her death is yet to be ascertained, police said Monday. Sources close to her said, the sudden demise of Rajendran, who passed away on January 14 this year following liver ailments, also affected Nayana. She had made her debut in the tinsel town assisting Rajendran.

The 28-year-old filmmaker was found dead at her apartment on Sunday. Cops have suggested that she had been under treatment for diabetes for some time and her autopsy report is awaited.

When repeated calls to her mobile phone went unanswered, Nayana’s mother got suspicious and informed her friends, who rushed to her apartment. Despite repeated banging on the main door of the house, there was no response, following which they used a spare key to open it and found her lying dead in the bedroom, they added.

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A proponent of parallel cinema, Nayana marked her space in the industry as an independent director through Crossword, a 2017 anthology in which she did the sequel Pakshikalude Mananam with actors Vijay Babu and Mythili in the lead role. Before that, she had worked as an associate director under several leading filmmakers including late Lenin Rajendran, Kamal, Jeethu Joseph and Dr Biju. She also directed several advertisements and stage shows in and outside the country.

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Hailing from Alappad in Kollam district, Nayana is survived by father Dinesan, mother Sheela and two siblings.

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First Published: Feb 25, 2019 15:30 IST