Soorya Krishnamoorthy, Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Scientist and Soorya Festival Founder, Passes Away at 78

Key facts

• Soorya Krishnamoorthy, a renowned performing arts expert, playwright, screenwriter and cultural organiser, passed away at the age of 78 in Thiruvananthapuram while undergoing treatment for a liver-related illness.
• Born Nataraja Krishnamoorthy, he joined the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a scientist in 1972, worked there for 27 years alongside former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, and took voluntary retirement in 1999 to devote himself to the arts.
• He founded the Soorya Stage and Film Society in Thiruvananthapuram in 1977, which expanded from cinema into music, dance, theatre, photography and painting.
• His Soorya Festival grew into one of Kerala's major cultural programmes and was scheduled to begin its 2026 edition on October 1, days after his death.
• He introduced light-and-sound shows in Malayalam, served three times as director of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation, chaired the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, and wrote the screenplay for the 2011 Malayalam film 'Melvilasom'.
• He won the National Award for Stagecraft and Direction in 1996 and received recognition from the Limca Book of Records.
• His mortal remains were kept for public viewing at his residence in Thycaud from 7 am, with cremation at Shanthi Kavadam in the evening.