Malayalam director Rajesh Pillai critical

Filmmaker Rajesh Pillai, popular for path-breaking Malayalam films such as "Traffic" and "Mili", is battling for life here at a private hospital, a reliable source close to him said.

"He is currently on ventilator. He has been suffering from liver cirrhosis, and was due for a liver transplant, which he had postponed to complete his latest film 'Vettah', which released in cinemas on Friday," the source told IANS.

He was hospitalised several times in the last few months.

During the final sound mixing for "Vettah", he had also contracted pneumonia and that worsened his health.