Thiruvananthapuram: Well-known Malayalam film music composer S Balakrishnan died at Chennai, his family sources said Thursday.
He was suffering from cancer, the sources said.
Balakrishnan, 69, commenced his musical career in 1975 as an assistant music director to Guna Singh and to Rajan-Nagendra.
Balakrishnan, who hailed form Chittlancherry in Palakkad district, did a bachelor's degree in Economic History from Coimbatore and later moved to Chennai pursuing a career in films.
He received Best Student Award in the western classical music test conducted by Trinity College London in 1975.
Balakrishnan also played the western instrument Recorder and the western flute for eminent music directors such as Ilayaraja.
Balakrishnan's film scoring career began in the late 1980s with Siddique-Lal's comedy film 'Ramji Rao Speaking' (1989). With the songs of the film becoming hits, the duo signed him in all their future ventures till 'Vietnam Colony' (1992).
He scored music for 14 films, including four with Siddique-Lal.
His other notable films include 'Kilukkaampetti' (1991), 'Grihapravesham' (1992), and 'Ishttamanu Nooruvattam' (1996).
Making a comeback through East Coast Vijayan's 2011 musical romance film 'Mohabbath', Balakrishnan served as a faculty for recorder and western flute at KM Music Conservatory, a music institution founded by A R Rahman.
Some of his other films in which he scored music are 'In Hariharanagar' (1990) and 'Godfather' (1991).
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condoled the death.