Veteran Tamil filmmaker K. Rajan has died after jumping into a river.

Mr. K. Rajan, a veteran film producer, director, writer, and actor in the Tamil film industry, committed suicide on May 17, 2026, in Chennai, India.

Born on February 25, 1941, he was 85 years old at the time of his death. According to reports, he committed this unfortunate act by jumping into the Adyar River (from the Adyar Bridge near Thiru-Vi-Ka Bridge) between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM on that day. Subsequently, fire and rescue units, including Saidapet, recovered his body around 5:15 PM, and it was transferred to Royapettah Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. The Adyar police have currently filed a case regarding the incident and commenced investigations.

Mr. Rajan, a resident of Old Washermanpet, had arrived in the Adyar area with his driver Dhanasekar on that day. He reportedly told the driver to stop the vehicle near the bridge, stating he was going for a walk, and then jumped into the river. After passersby informed the driver about this, he reported the information to the police. Although no note confirming the reason for his suicide has been found yet, family members state that he was under severe mental stress due to some family issues. In recent times, he had been living a somewhat reclusive life, and despite various opinions circulating online considering his age, the police are treating this as a case of suicide.

Mr. K. Rajan managed to establish his dominance in Tamil cinema for over four decades through production houses like Ganesh Cine Arts. He began his career as a producer in 1983 with the film 'Brahmacharigal,' starring Suresh, and later produced films such as 'Doubles' (2000), 'Aval Pavam' (2000), and 'Ninaikkatha Naalillai' (2001). Additionally, he directed 'Namma Ooru Mariamma' (1991) and 'Unchigal' (2005), and contributed to screenplays for 'Thangamana Thangachi' (1991) and 'Chinna Poovai Kalathe' (1992). His acting talent was also seen in numerous films like 'Michael Raj' (1987), 'Sonthakkaran' (1989), 'Paambu Sattai' (2017), 'Thunivu' (2023), and 'Bakasuran' (2023). He also introduced his son, Prabhukaanth, to cinema as an actor and frequently collaborated with music directors Shankar-Ganesh.

Mr. K. Rajan was someone who consistently spoke openly about issues in the film industry, especially the high fees of actors and actresses and loss-making films. His bold and controversial speeches at film festivals earned him respect from many, but also led to various controversies. Among these were his arrest in 2001 on charges of assaulting another producer, and public clashes with stars like Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Nayanthara, as well as singer Chinmayi in 2019. Nevertheless, he also served as the President of the Chennai Film Distributors' Association in 2000.

The entire Tamil film industry has expressed its shock over his demise. Veteran actress Khushbu Sundar called the news extremely tragic and stated that Mr. Rajan was a highly respected individual who never hesitated to speak the truth as it was. Additionally, many others, including Vishal, R. Sarathkumar, and producer G. Dhananjayan, have expressed their sorrow via social media, appreciating his brave voice and service to cinema. Following Mr. K. Rajan's demise, his only remaining family member is his son, Prabhukaanth, who is an actor and also directed the film 'LKG' in 2019. Prabhukaanth also acted in films produced by his father, such as 'Aval Pavam' and 'Doubles'.