Tamil novelist and scriptwriter V Balakumaran died on Tuesday in a private hospital. He was 71 and survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami condoled the author's death.

Balakumaran has earned popularity for his novel like Mercury Pookkal. He had also written dialogues for Kamal Hassan's Nayagan and Rajinikanth's Baasha.

Born in Pazhamaneri in Thanjavur district, he moved to Chennai to complete his schooling in the city.

Balakumaran was known for portraying liberated women in his works. The author also worked as the associate director for Punnagai Mannan and Sindhu Bhairavi directed by K.Balachander.

In a statement made earlier, he had said that he even surpassed T.Janakiraman when it comes to style and that he would continue to read for another 200 years.

Balakumaran has written over 150 novels, 100 short stories and is a screenplay writer for over 21 films. He had also contributed to Tamil periodicals such as Kalki, Ananda Vikatan, and Kumudam.