THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Renowned cultural icon and former chairperson of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Soorya Krishnamoorthy (76), passed away on Wednesday.
Founder of Keralam's biggest cultural event, Soorya Festival, he was the most prominent cultural icon active in the programmes in the state capital. He was undergoing long-term treatment for lung-related issues for the last few years, and was declared dead by 6.45 pm at a private hospital here.
Graduating from the TKM College of Engineering, Krishnamoorthy later worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a scientist. He was selected for his job here by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and has also worked with him for a brief period.
The landmark change in his life arrived when he founded the Soorya Festival in 1977. The success of the festival made it a legacy of the state capital, with the festival gaining the name of the longest festival in the world, which runs to 111 days at a stretch, and over 2,000 artists. Many noted talents, including Navya Nair and Lekshmi Gopalaswamy, rose to fame through the festival.
He has also served as the director of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) for three terms.
Calling him an icon who helped to place Kerala's cultural identity before the world, Chief Minister VD Satheesan called Soorya Krishnamoorthy's demise an irreplaceable loss for the state's cultural sector.