Sankaran was suffering from kidney ailment for quite sometime.

Gnani, as he was known, was forthright in his views when queried about the current political climate and parties in Tamil Nadu.

He was the editor of a Tamil magazine Dheemtharikida and staged several plays for the drama troupe Pariksha.

"Gnani was a childhood friend. He was very witty, would regale us with his wit. He also used to play conga drum. During his college days his views on many things would be different," M.J. Krishna, a childhood friend of Gnani, told IANS.