Famous comedy actor Pandu, who was undergoing treatment for COVID-19, has succumbed to the disease. The 74-year-old actor breathed his last during the wee hours of this morning.
Pandu, along with his wife, tested positive for the virus a few days ago and was undergoing treatment in a private hospital. His wife continues to be in the ICU.
Pandu began his career as an actor in the year 1970 with the Jaishankar-Muthuraman starrer Maanavan. The brother of comedy actor Idichapuli Selvararaj, he went on to play comical roles over the decades and gained prominence because of his unique body language and dialogue delivery. His comedy scenes in films like Ghilli, Kadhal Kottai, Pokkiri and Ezhaiyin Siripil continue to be favourites on television and YouTube. He was last seen in the 2020 film, Indha Nilai Maarum.
Pandu was equally famous as a logo and font designer. He designed the iconic flag of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) and Tamil Nadu tourism logo. He ran a design company called Capital Letters.
The actor is survived by his three sons, Prabhu, Panchu and Pintu. His son Pintu made his debut as a hero with the 2013 film, Vellachi.