Veteran film and theatre actor, V.S. Raghavan, 90, died on Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer. He is survived by two sons.

Mr. Raghavan had the distinction of acting in more than 1,000 Tamil films over the past six decades.

The actor, who became the darling of mimicry artistes, began his career with Vairamalai in 1954. Some of his memorable roles were in films directed by K. Balachander.

His role in Iru Kodugal , where he played a father with negative shades, earned him critical acclaim, as did his role as an Anglo-Indian dad in Nootrukku Nooru .

He has also starred in popular films such as Kadhalikka Neramillai , Pattanathil Bootham and Urimai Kural . In the 2013 film, Idharkuthane Aasaipattai Balakumara, he appeared in the song, Pray Pannuven , which went on to become a huge hit.

Mr. Raghavan was also a well-known theatre artiste. His troupe, INA Theatres, was popular with the masses.

Following the announcement of his death, many film personalities offered condolences. Former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said she was pained to hear about Mr. Raghavan’s death.

“He was kind, gentle and friendly with everyone. He has been doing character roles for the past 58 years. It’s a great loss to the Tamil film industry. I offer my condolences to his family and members of the film fraternity,” she said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Udhav Naig / Chennai – January 25th, 2015