Atlas Ramachandran, well-known Kerala businessman and filmmaker, dies in Dubai at 80

Atlas Ramachandran, Non-resident Indian businessman and filmmaker,  passed away on Sunday at the age of 80 in Dubai.

According to media reports, Ramachandran died in the late hours of Sunday at Dubai's Aster Hospital due to a heart attack after battling age-related illnesses.

Ramachandran was admitted to the hospital in Mankhool on Saturday after complaining of chest pain. According to the reports, he had been unwell for some time due to age-related issues.

Wife Indira Ramachandran and daughter Manju Ramachandran were at his bedside in his final moments.

Ramachandran, the founder of the now-defunct Atlas Jewellery, had been a long-time expat in the UAE, celebrating his 80th birthday at his Bur Dubai residence in August this year.

Ramachandran was an ardent lover of Cinema. Besides being a producer of well-known Malayalam movies Vaishali, Vasthuhara, Dhanam and Sukrutham, Ramachandran also acted in 13 movies and directed one including. Movies, which he acted include Arabikatha, Malabar Wedding, Harihar Nagar-2.

Atlas Ramachandran is amongst the few businessmen from Kerala who created a successful business empire internationally across sectors including healthcare, real estate besides jewellery business that was his key area of focus.

Ramachandran hails from Thrissur in Kerala and began his professional life as a banker before entering the lucrative business of gold jewellery business. In a short span, Ramachandran's business empire grew to one of the leading ones in gold business in gulf region.

His famous advertisement tagline 'janakodikalude vishwsthasthapanam' (trusted enterprise of millions of customers) gained much popularity in Kerala and Dubai among customers.

Yet, it wasn't all through a cakewalk for the industrialist. During 2015, Ramachandran was arrested and subsequently jailed in Dubai for being party to alleged financial irregularities. He was released only in 2018.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Kochuseph Chittilappilly--another well-known industrialist from Kerala, said Ramachandran inspired many with his growth journey and managed to build a successful business model starting from humble beginnings.