Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Siddique passed away at the age of 63 on Tuesday, leaving the industry and his fans in mourning. Siddique had been hospitalised in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest on August 7 in Kochi.
Initially hospitalised for chronic liver disease and bronchopneumonia, Siddique's condition worsened when he experienced a cardiac arrest. According to reports, he was placed on ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) support due to cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure. Despite medical efforts, he experienced multi-organ dysfunction and was declared dead on August 8 at 9:10 pm.
Siddique's body will be kept at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium for the public to pay their respects before being taken to his residence at Kakkanad. The funeral will take place at Ernakulam Central Juma Masjid in the evening.
Many celebrities including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Dulquer Salmaan, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and others paid tribute to the late director on social media.
Mohanlal shared a note on Facebook saying, “I can't believe the demise of my dear Siddique. Expressing stories through natural humour and the common man's life problems, Siddique, who became a favourite among Malayalees all over the world, cannot express the sadness of his untimely departure. Due to the variety of topics and attraction of direction, millions of viewers were waiting for Siddique's every movie. Siddique has made us laugh a lot, brought tears to our eyes, reminded us not to lose hope, and set us a role model through his own life to reach the top. Siddique lived as an ordinary man, leaving luxury, being gentle in words and behaviour, without showing hostility to anyone. I was lucky to act in Big Brother, the first film he acted as an assistant director from Kannumnattu to the final film Big Brother. Siddique was literally a big brother to me in cinema and in life. Condolences with pain.”
Mammootty expressed his sorrow in a tweet in Malayalam. He tweeted, “Continuous departures of very dear ones...while experiencing the unbearable pain it causes... Homage to dear Siddique.”
Dulquer Salmaan remembered Siddique as a gentle and talented soul who contributed significantly to pop culture through his iconic films. He said, “The gentlest soul. The kindest human. A gifted writer/director. The most incredible humour hiding behind his soft demeanour. He gave us some of the most iconic films. Part of our pop culture and referred to in our everyday conversations. This is an immeasurable loss. Prayers and strength to Siddique Sir's family and loved ones.”
Prithviraj Sukumaran took to his Instagram stories to share a snap of the late director, writing, “Rest in peace Sir.”
Keerthy Suresh also shared an image of the director along with a heartbreak emoji on her Instagram stories.
Prabhu Deva tweeted, “RIP. Deepest condolences to the family.”
Siddique, along with his friend Lal, began his journey in Malayalam cinema as assistant director under Fazil in 1983. Together, they delivered significant hits like Ramji Rao Speaking, In Harihar Nagar, Godfather, and Vietnam Colony.
Apart from Malayalam films, Siddique also directed movies in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. His directorial credits include Salman Khan's Bodyguard and his last film was Big Brother, which was released in 2020, starring Mohanlal.