Renowned actor and filmmaker Pratap Pothen died in Chennai on Friday, July 15. According to reports, the 69-year-old actor was found dead in his apartment in the city’s Kilpauk. He has acted in over a hundred films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. He began his acting career in Malayalam cinema with the legendary director Bharathan, through movies like Aavaram, Thakara and Lorry.

Pratap became active in Tamil simultaneously with movies like Moodupani, Varumayin Niram Sivappu and Panneer Pushpangal. Pratap began directing films in the 1980s, with his first movie Meendum Oru Kathal Kathai winning the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director. Vettri Vizhaa with Kamal Haasan, Oru Yathramozhi with Mohanlal in Malayalam are some of his other noted films. He has directed a total of 12 films in Malayalam and Tamil.

Among the last films Pratap acted in were CBI 5: The Brain and the upcoming Mohanlal directorial Barroz: Guardian of D'Gama's Treasure. In Tamil, he was last seen in the courtroom thriller Ponmagal Vanthal starring Jyothika and produced by 2D Entertainment and in a cameo appearance in last year’s political comedy Tughlaq Darbar, led by Parthiban and Vijay Sethupathi.

Pratap was known for his peculiar dialogue delivery, adding depth to his often offbeat characters, even when he played insufferable villains, like in 22 Female Kottayam. He had style and chose characters that suited his peculiarities like the rebellious student in love with his teacher in Chamaram or the simpleton hero rising to heights in Pappu. In later years he also did mature characters like the good old doctor in Ayalum Njanum Thammil.