KOCHI: Actor Anil Murali, who excelled in character roles and as a villain in many Malayalam movies, passed away in Kochi on Thursday. He was 56. He was under treatment for liver ailment.
Anil, who entered the world of acting through television serials during the early '90s, was known for portraying stubborn roles. Although he stepped into the Mollywood industry through the movie Kanayakumariyil Oru Kavitha directed by Vinayan, his breakthrough was the movie Daivathinte Vikruthikal (1992) directed by late Lenin Rajendran.
The character -Thampan- that he portrayed in the movie Valkkanadi (2002), directed by Anil Babu gave him a prominent place in the industry, with more and more filmmakers casting him for supporting roles as well as the villainous roles.
His other notable movies include Lion, Baba Kalyani, Run Baby Run, Pokkiri Raja, Ayalum Njanum Thammil, K L -10, Puthen Panam, Iyyobinte Pusthakam, Hero and Joseph.
The Tovinno Thomas-starrer Forensic, which was released before the lockdown was his last movie. He has also enacted major characters in Tamil and Telugu movies. The late star has acted in nearly 200 movies in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu.