Popular lyricist in Malayalam films Poovachal Khader became a victim to Covid-19 as he passed away at the state-run Medical College Hospital here, said family sources. The 72-year-old was under treatment for a while and suffered a cardiac arrest past Tuesday midnight.

In a career spanning over four decades he wrote lyrics for over 400 Malayalam films for 1,500 Malayalam film songs, some of which have turned into immortal hits. Hailing from the capital city suburbs Poovachal, it was in 1973 that he entered the Malayalam film industry and has been busy till 2011.