Ashwin Kakumanu Instagram – On 26th April 2023, Advaith Isaac Ramkumar passed away. I’ve known him since 2009. We bonded immediately when we met over our shared love of comic books, batman, superhero films, Star Wars, and other geek stuff. He went on to become an assistant director and work in films like 24, Hello and Gang Leader. In the last few years of the pandemic, we used to talk every day and discuss ideas, stories, and films. He was a hard worker, and we worked together on a couple of short films I directed. He had just finished writing his own screenplay, and I had written my own. We helped each other through writers’ blocks and other obstacles life threw our way. We made a pact. If he directed first, I was going to help as an actor or creative producer, and if I made mine first, he was going to be a creative on it. So it’s heartbreaking on so many levels that he’s gone. Gone too soon, gone before he got to achieve his dreams. Life throws so many things our way at the same time – birth, death, success, failure, love, happiness, and rejection ; we just have to keep our heads through it all. One step at a time, one day at a time. I hope he’s resting peacefully, knowing he is missed and loved by everyone he left behind. I held off on posting about this because I have been numb the last week and am still processing this loss. I didn’t want want to write this because I didn’t want to say goodbye. Your going away made me realise our time is limited here, and to try and make the best of what is there when it’s there. Take time to stop and smell the roses and look at the silver linings; I will miss talking to you every other day and chilling in your room, talking about ideas and cracking up over silly jokes. Goodbye and godspeed. Rest in peace. P.S: I took the first photo, and he shot the last photo.