PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri L. Krishnan (pic), the doyen of the Malay film industry in Singapore and Malaysia, passed away in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on Thursday. He was 104.

He breathed his last at his home for the last 15 years, in the com­pany of his wife Puan Sri Jarunee Rukmanee, his adopted son Khun Bon Lersak Chaiyanuvong, and family.

Born Lakshmana Krishnan on 21 Oct, 1922 in Madras (now Chennai), India, he was a pionee­ring Malay film director in Singa­pore and Malaysia who introduced Malay and mentored many local film stars, including the legendary Tan Sri P. Ramlee.

His family moved to Penang where he attended Bukit Mertajam High School and completed his Senior Cambridge certificate in 1941.

Before entering the film industry in Tamil Nadu, he joined the rebel Indian National Army (INA), led by Subhas Chandra Bose, to fight for freedom from British colonial rule in India.

He served as a second lieutenant in the INA under Azad Hind, the Bose-led Indian provisional government established in Japanese-occupied Singapore during World War II, assigned to parts of Malaya and then Dutch-occupied Indonesia.

After the war, he took up ­various jobs in Singapore, inclu­ding as a receptionist at Raffles Hotel before going to Tamil Nadu to pursue a career in film, with his first job as an assistant director at Kalaivani Films in 1947.

He moved back to Singapore two years later to work at the Shaw Brothers’ Studios.

Much to the reluctance of RunRun Shaw and RunMe Shaw, he cast the then skinny and pimply-faced P. Ramlee as the hero of his first directorial debut film Bakti in 1950, which became a resounding success.

Among his 29 other notable films were Takdir Ilahi (1950), Penghidupan (1951), Antara Senyum dan Tangis (1952); while his contributions to the horror genre were Orang Lichin (1957), Orang Minyak (1958) and Serangan Orang Minyak (1959).

In addition to directing, Krishnan wrote and produced movies with a variety of themes that explored the early idealism of Malaya.

Krishnan also set up Gaya Filem Berhad in 1970 and urged the government to promote local companies to create their own advertisements instead of relying on foreign-produced commercials.

In 1980, he set up Gaya Music Studio, the first 16-track entity, to help develop local music and two years later, he launched the first motion picture colour laboratory in the country.

Krishnan, who was made chairman of Cathay Organisation Malaysia, won numerous recognitions, including several federal and state awards, as well as the title of Tan Sri and the exclusive Datuk Seri Nilam DiRaja (from the Sultan of Selangor) for his pioneering and innovative ventures.

He received the Merdeka Award in 2016, for outstanding contributions to film, education and community.

Krishnan was also well-known for his social work and philanthropy through several organisations including the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur, Discharged Prisoners Aid Society, Malaysian Association for the Blind, Medic Alert Foundation of Malaysia, Netaji Welfare Foundation, Persatuan Kebajikan NASARRE, Chinese Maternity Hospital and the Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital.

For many decades, he brought much joy to underprivileged members of society, including special children, by hosting them instead of VIPs and regular guests during Deepavali celebrations.

Krishnan’s remains will be cremated in Chiang Mai on Monday.