Malayalam film producer S Kumar, aged 90, passed away at his house in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday evening. He was the son of P Subramaniam, the owner of Merryland Studio, one of the earliest film studios in Kerala, which has produced a number of films from the 1950s. Kumar owned Shasta Productions which produced many Malayalam films in the 1980s.

Many of the films that were produced by Kumar in the '80s were directed by Sreekumaran Thampy. Venalil Oru Mazha, Munnettam, Kilukilukkam, Ithu Njangalude Katha (which marked the acting debut of Mukesh), Pournami Ravil, Kanana Sundari and Miss Stella are a few of them.

Kumar studied at the Model School in Thiruvananthapuram and went to the Intermediate College and the MG College in the city, reports cinemanewsagency.com. After completing his Bachelors in Arts, Kumar joined as Assistant Production Manager at the Merryland Studio. Later he became partners with Kumaraswamy and Sons Company, a film distribution group. Kumar was also editor of the Critics Cinema magazine.

He was also director of the film theatres managed by Merryland Studio, including the Sree Kumar-Sree Visakh and New Theatre complexes in Thiruvananthapuram.

Kumar's last rites will be performed on Monday afternoon at 3 pm at the premises of Merryland Studio.