Tamil comedian Pandu dies of COVID-19

Chennai, May 6: Tamil comedian Pandu, noted for his unique facial expressions and body language, died here on Thursday due to COVID-19, his family said.

"He tested positive for coronavirus and was admitted to hospital yesterday and his pulse dropped suddenly and he passed away early this morning," Pandu''s son Pintu told P T I.

Pandu is survived by his wife, who is also being treated for COVID-19 in a hospital and three sons.

In his career spanning about four decades, Pandu has performed comedy roles in 500-plus movies, mainly in Tamil and his late 1980s television serial in Doordarshan ''Panju, Pattu, Peethambaram'' was hugely popular. His debut movie was ''Karai Ellam Shenbagapoo'' in the early 1980s.

The DMK and AIADMK condoled his death. DMK chief M K Stalin said Pandu, besides being an excellent comedian was also an artist who held a doctorate in the subject and he had developed a unique style of comedy. Pandu''s death was a huge loss to the film industry and to the world of drawings, paintings, Stalin said in a statement.

AIADMK top leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami hailed Pandu for his acting skills and said he was well known to party founder and late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.

Expressing grief, they prayed for the comedian''s soul to rest in peace.