Renowned Malayalam actor Kalasala Babu, 68, passed away this morning at a private hospital in Ernakulam due to cerebral haemorrhage. He had been undergoing treatment for heart ailments for quite some time now.

In a career spanning four decades, Babu first made a significant mark in the theatre circle by appearing in many plays and starting his own theatre group called Kalasala in the 1970s. He then made his transition to the small screen before moving to the big screen. He had appeared alongside Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj and Dileep. 

Born in 1955 to veteran Kathakali master Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair and Mohiniyattam dancer Kalamandalam Kalyani Kutty Amma, Babu made his debut with the 1981 film Inaye Thedi, directed by Antony Eastman. He then went on to appear in over 50 films, with many memorable roles to his credit. He played mostly negative roles in addition to a few challenging character roles.  

He is survived by his wife Lalitha, daughter Sridevi and son Vishwanath.