Ajith Kumar’s father PS Mani passed away on Friday morning at the age of 85. As per a statement released by the family, he had been suffering from an illness for a long time and died in his sleep in the early hours of the morning. The family – Ajith and his brothers – have requested for privacy. The funeral will be a private affair involving only the family.

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Ajith and his brothers - Anup Kumar and Anil Kumar – released a statement hours after their father’s death, informing everyone of his demise and asking for privacy during the difficult time. “Our father, P.S. Mani, passed away in the early hours of this morning, in his sleep, after a long illness. He was 85. We are grateful for the care and support provided to him and our family by a number of medical professionals, especially following his debilitating stroke of four years ago. We are comforted, at this time of grief, that he lived a good life and knew the undying love of our mother, his partner of nearly six decades,” the statement read.

In the statement, the brothers requested fans and well wishers to respect their privacy. “We appreciate the kind, comforting messages and condolences that have been coming in and ask for your understanding if we may not be able to take calls or respond to messages in a timely manner,” they added.

PS Mani’s funeral will be a family affair, the statement reiterated, something that had been reported in the Tamil media earlier. “His last rites will be a family affair. We trust that all who have known loss will respect our wish to grieve privately and deal with his passing with as much equanimity and dignity as possible,” the statement concluded.

Ajith Kumar, called AK by his fans, is one of the biggest stars in the Tamil film industry, having delivered several hits and blockbusters over the last 25 years. His brother Anup Kumar is an investor, and Anil is  an IIT Madras graduate-turned-entrepreneur.