Veteran Tamil actor Siva Narayanamurthy passed away due to ill health at around 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 7. He was 66. The late actor is best known for playing comedy roles and most often appeared in Tamil films either as a policeman or a village simpleton. Siva Narayanamurthy made more than 300 film appearances and is survived by his wife Pushpavalli, his sons Lokesh and Ramkumar, and his daughter Sreedevi. His last rites will be held at his native Pattukottai on Thursday, December 8, at around 2 p.m.

Siva Narayanamurthy gained popularity after often being seen in films starring Tamil cinema comedy legends 'Vaigai Puyal' Vadivelu and the late actor Vivek in the past two decades. He was introduced to films by actor-filmmaker Vishu and also acted alongside big names like 'Nadigar Thilagam' Sivaji Ganesan, 'Superstar' Rajinikanth, 'Thalapathy' Vijay, and Ajith Kumar to name a notable few. Having been featured in several memorable scenes in Tamil films over the years, Siva Narayanamurthy is remembered fondly for his appearance in the "Deivame" comedy sequence alongside Vadivelu in the Arjun and Jyothika-starrer Manikanda (2007). The news of Siva Narayanamurthy's death has come as a big shock to many fans, who have been expressing their condolences and paying their tributes on social media. Some also fondly remember his comedy roles and have been posting clips of his scenes alongside Vivek and Vadivelu, while sharing their grief at his demise.