Veteran Malayalam actor Ravi Vallathol passed away at his house in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday. The 67-year-old actor had been unwell for a while and had stopped acting, reports Manorama Online.

Ravi Vallathol, known for his serious characters, acted in around 50 films and several television serials in a career that lasted over three decades.

He made his film debut in Swathi Thirunal, directed by the late Lenin Rajendran in 1987.

Ravi Vallathol has since played versatile characters in movies such as Season, Mathilukal, Kottayam Kunjachan, Godfather, Sargam, Vidheyan, Chathurangam, Naalu Penningal and Idukki Gold.

He was also a writer and has written more than 25 short stories. Two of his stories - Devaranjini and Nimanjanam - were adapted into television series. He has also scripted plays. His play Revathirkkoru Pavakutty was adapted into a film by Sathyan Anthikad in 1986. He was related to the legendary poet Vallathol Narayana Menon.

Before that, he made his debut in television with the serial Vaitharani on Doordarshan, which was written by his father TN Gopinathan Nair. He won the Kerala State television award for best actor in 2003 for acting in the series American Dreams.

However, long before acting, Ravi Vallathol made his foray into cinema as a lyricist. He wrote a song for the 1976 film Madhuram Thirumadhuram.

Ravi Vallathol and his wife Geetha Lekshmi started a charitable trust called Thanal for children with intellectual disabilities.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan paid condolences, calling him a gifted artiste who could leave a lasting impression on the characters he played.