CHENNAI: The condition of ace cinematographer Ashok Kumar Agarwal, who has been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed ailment in the SRM Hospital at Kattankulathur for nearly a month, is serious, according to his son Akash Ashok Kumar.
Akash, also a cinematographer, said, “He (father) has been in the ICU for a month now. His eyes are always closed and he, sadly, is not showing any sign of improvement. The doctors say he is not fit to be discharged now.”
Seeing his father’s deteriorating health, Akash felt that it was time he informed those close to Ashok, and the whole film fraternity, which he considers as ‘his first family’. “I want all the people in the industry to know about his condition and support him at this tough time,” he said.
In his three-decade-long film career, Ashok is best known for his work in the Tamil movie Nejathai Killathe(1980).
Ashok Kumar has over 100 films to his credit, including Jeans, Uthiri Pookal, Johny, Vetri Vizha and Nadigan, and several others in Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and English.
“Many from the directors’ union, including directors Pandiraj and Mahendran, camera union, assistants, have visited him,” Akash said, adding that the Tamil Nadu Directors Association (TANTIS) and SRM Hospitals had come together in support of his treatment.