R. Sarath, a Kerala (southwestern Indian state) filmmaker celebrated for his environmentally and socially conscious cinema, died at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram in the early hours of Monday, September 7, 2026, aged 65. His debut feature Sayahnam (2000), which examined public responses to India's 1998 Pokhran nuclear tests, earned him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam and the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Director. His work, which spanned documentaries, short films, and features exploring themes from environmental destruction to gender, travelled to international festivals, with The Desire winning Best Narrative Feature at the 2011 Geneva International Film Festival.