Malayalam actor Shanavas, son of legendary Prem Nazir, dies at 71

Malayalam actor Shanavas, who has acted in over 50 films, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala on August 4, 2025. He was the son of legendary actor Prem Nazir.

Actor Shanavas dies at 71

News in Short

* Malayalam actor Shanavas, the son of evergreen hero Prem Nazir, passed away at the age of 71 in Kerala on Monday.

* Shanavas acted in over 50 movies across the Malayalam and Tamil film industries.

* He has also featured in several Malayalam serials such as Shankupushpam and Kadamattathu Kathanar, among others.

Malayalam actor Shanavas, the son of legendary (late) Prem Nazir, passed away in Kerala. He was 71. Shanavas, who has acted in over 50 films across languages, was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He breathed his last at 11.50 pm on August 4, 2025

Prem Nazir’s son Shanavas dies

Iconic Malayalam actor Prem Nazir’s son Shanavas died at the age of 71 on Monday. Born in Thiruvananthapuram to Prem Nazir and wife Habeeba Beevi in 1955, Shanavas completed his studies in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. His funeral will be held in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday evening. He is survived by wife Ayesha Abdul Azeez, and children Ajith Khan and Shameer Khan.

Shanavas’s films and serials

Shanavas made his film debut with the Malayalam film Premageethangal, helmed by actor-filmmaker Balachandran Menon. He has acted in over 50 languages, across Tamil and Malayalam languages. He featured in several films, including Mohanlal-starrer fan-favourite Chithram Lal Americayil, and Neelagiri, starring Mammootty. Though the son of Prem Nazir, who is hailed as the evergreen hero (Nithyaharitha Nayakan) of Malayalam cinema, Shanavas could not replicate his father's success in films.

He stayed away from film for over around 12 years before returning to Malayalam cinema with China Town in 2011. His last film was Jana Gana Mana, starring actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, that released in 2022.

He has also acted in several serials. Shankupushpam, Kadamattathu Kathanar, and Vikramadithyan. Several Malayalam cinephiles and actors have expressed their condolences over the demise of Shanavas.

FAQs

Q. Is Shanavas son of Prem Nazir?

A. Yes, Shanavas is the son of Prem Nazir.

Q. What is the salary of Prem Nazir?

Prem Nazir played the lead role in most of the films in the 1960s and 1970s. Prem Nazir's salary was around Rs 2 lakh per film, according to India Today. He starred in over 700 films.

Q. Who is the evergreen actor in Malayalam?

Legendary actor Prem Nazir is hailed as the evergreen hero (Nithyaharitha Nayakan) of Malayalam cinema.

Also read: Malayalam OTT releases in August 2025 on JioHotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sony LIV, and more: JSK to Nadikar

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