Actor Thavakkalai passes away

Popular Tamil comedy actor Thavakalai alias Chittibabu died in Chennai on Sunday. He is 42 and is survived by wife Podhumani.

Thavakkalai had acted in over 70 films in six Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.

To name a few among the most memorable roles he has enacted on screen is that of a notorious primary school student in K Bhagyaraj's Mundanai Mudichu and as Janakaraj's son in Pandiyarajan's classic rural romantic comedy Aan Paavam.

Thavakalai, who came home Saturday night after attending the shoot of a Malayalam film, started vomitting Sunday morning. He asked his wife to get him water, and collapsed after drinking it, as he suffered a massive cardiac arrest.

The mortal remains of the deceased actor has been kept at his residence at Vadapalani, Chennai and the funeral would happen today.

Many film personalities and the South Indian Artistes Association have condoled his death and recalled that he was a simple and affectionate person.