Veteran Tamil actor Pandu dies of Covid-19 at 74

Veteran Tamil actor Pandu dies of Covid-19 at 74

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.05.2021

On Thursday, Kollywood lost yet another of its veterans as actor Pandu, best known for his performances in ‘Pammal K Samandham’, ‘Kadhal Kottai’ and ‘Kanchana 2’, passed away after being hospitalised for Covid-19. He was 74.

Pandu, who was born in Namakkal, made his acting debut in 1970 with the Tamil film ‘Maanavan’. He went on to act in more than 100 films with roles alongside superstars such as Rajinikanth, Vijay and Ajith. Most recently, he acted in films like ‘Itly’ (2018) and ‘Indha Nilai Maarum’ (2020). The actor’s passing drew condolences from the film fraternity, with many expressing their shock and disbelief over the loss.

“When actors like Goundamani uncle and Senthil sir were ruling the 90’s, he held his own with his unique style, expressions and dialogue delivery,” tweeted actor Sibi Sathyaraj. “He was very close to our family and a kind man,” said actor-choreographer and politician Gayathri Raghuram.

In previous interviews to news and television channels, Pandu spoke of how he felt proud to have shared the screen with three generations of Sivaji Ganesan’s family – Sivaji himself, his son Prabhu and his grandson Vikram Prabhu – in one lifetime.

In addition to acting, Pandu was known for his art and design sense and ran a company called ‘Capital letters’ that designed name boards. He is also famously credited with designing the AIADMK’s two-leaves logo and also the party flag, following his association with party founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran.

“He used to design shields and trophies for various Tamil cinema anniversary programmes,” says actor and director Manobala whose film ‘Naina’ starred Pandu. “He easily became friends with the big stars he worked with, and always bought gifts for everyone when he went on his travels.”

Pandu’s demise also drew condolences from AIADMK leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam, who remembered his contributions to the party, as well as his prowess as an artiste. Pandu is survived by his wife Kumudha, who is also undergoing treatment for Covid, and three sons.