Bodyguard director Siddique dies after cardiac arrest

Popular Malayalam filmmaker Siddique died on Tuesday. He was 63. Siddique was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest on August 7 and remained in a critical condition at a hospital in Kochi in Indian state of Kerala.

Siddique's hospitalisation

Siddique's condition deteriorated after suffering from cardiac arrest and he was put on ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). He was being treated for liver-related problems and pneumonia. He was put on ventilator support.

Siddique was admitted to the hospital due to "chronic liver disease and bronchopneumonia" nearly a month ago.

"He was put on ventilator for respiratory failure and his condition improved with medical management. He was taken off ventilator and was on supplemental oxygen therapy. While on treatment, he had a massive heart attack and underwent emergency angioplasty.

"He was placed on ECMO support due to cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure. He developed multi-organ dysfunction with clinical deterioration and was declared dead on August 8 at 9.10 pm," a hospital source told PTI.

Family sources said the filmmaker's body will be kept at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday for the public to pay homage. The body will be later taken to his residence at Kakkanad. The funeral will be held at Ernakulam Central Juma Masjid later in the evening.

Condolences for Siddique

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran among others condoled the demise of the noted filmmaker.

"Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of Siddique, noted Malayalam film director. His films stood apart with characters one could easily relate to and set benchmarks for comedy and entertainment. May his soul rest in peace," Khan said in a tweet.

Vijayan said Siddique excelled in portraying serious life issues in a humorous manner.

"Siddique was an excellent screenwriter and director. The fact that various moments and dialogues in many films made by him and Lal remain in our minds even after decades is a testament to his talent," Vijayan said in a statement.

Who is Siddique?

Siddique made his entry into the Malayalam cinema as an assistant director with his friend Lal. They worked under veteran filmmaker Fazil in 1983. The two delivered some of the biggest hits in the industry, such as Ramji Rao Speaking, In Harihar Nagar, Godfather and Vietnam Colony.

Other works of Siddique

Besides Malayalam, Siddique also director Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He directed Salman Khan's Bodyguard, which also had Kareena Kapoor. Siddique's last film was Big Brother which released in 2020. It had Mohanlal in the title role, alongside Arbaaz Khan, Anoop Menon,Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Sarjano Khalid, Honey Rose, Mirnaa Menon, Chetan Hansraj, Gaadha, Siddique, and Tini Tom.

Siddique is survived by his wife Sajitha and their three daughters--Sumaya, Sara, and Sukoon.

Source: Hindustan Times