Pandu was an Indian Tamil actor who has worked in various comic roles in several movies. Pandu succumbed to death after he tested positive for the Covid-19 virus. His wife, Kumudha was also tested positive for the virus and she is in the ICU in a private hospital in Chennai.
Wiki/Biography
Pandu was born on Wednesday, 19 February 1947 (age 74 years; at the time of death) in Komarapalayam, Tamil Nadu. After completing his schooling, Pandu was not convinced to attend college as the course offered was for five years. However, his teacher convinced him to give the exam and Pandu cleared the exam with first division. Pandu received a government scholarship and he attended the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad to complete his post-graduation in Arts & Design. He then went to France to complete his doctorate degree in Arts & Design.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Eye Colour: Black
Hair Colour: Black
Family & Caste
Parents & Siblings
Pandu had a brother, Idichapuli Selvaraj. He was an actor and comedian in the Tamil movie industry.
Wife & Children
Pandu got married to Kumudha, and together they have three sons, Prabhu, Pintu, and Panju.
Pandu with his wife, Kumudha
Pandu with his son, Pintu
Pandu with his son P Panju during their art exhibition
Career
Pandu started his career as a designer and painter. He was given the opportunity to design the Tamil Nadu Tourism logo ‘An Umbrella.’ On completion of the design, Pandu received a cash prize of Rs. 20,000. Pandu has designed over 250 logos for several organizations including the logo for SUN TV. He designed the ‘Two Leaves’ party symbol for the All India Ann Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party under the supervision of Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR). In 1975, Pandu started his own business of brass and aluminum in Chennai. The name of the firm was Prapanj Unlimited, and it was handled by him and his son. He also had a company called Capital Letters which engaged in designing name boards for offices and residences of the Tamil film fraternity. Pandu made his acting debut with Karaiyellam Shenbagapoo (1981) where he joined his brother Idichapuli Selvaraj. Pandu played the supporting role in the film Kadhal Kottai where he worked with Ajith Kumar in Rajasthan. His performance in the movie was widely appreciated and established him as a prominent actor.
Poster of Kadhal Kottai (1996)
Over the years, he did many supporting roles in several movies like Chinna Madam (1994), Mayabazar (1995), Take It Easy Urvashi (1996), Panjumittai (2018), and many more films. Pandu made his television acting debut in 2007 with Dhinam Dhinam Deepavali. In 2013, Pandu was roped in to play a comic role in the Tamil movie Vellachi. The lead actor in the movie was his son, Pintu Pandu. The last film in which Pandu appeared was Indha Nilai Maarum in 2020.
Death
Pandu and his wife, Kumudha were tested positive for Covid-19 and they were admitted to a private hospital in Chennai. Unfortunately, Pandu succumbed to death on 6 May 2021. His wife was still in the ICU and under strict observation.
Facts/Trivia
- The painting of Jayalalithaa for the song ‘Enge Aval, Endre Manam’ was also painted by Pandu.
- Pandu followed a routine of designing all his logos during the Brahma Muhurtam i.e., early morning. In case, he was not able to finish a design during that time, he would stop working on it and continue it the next day.
- Pandu was fond of painting and he showcased all of his paintings in an exhibition. During the exhibition, Pandu revealed that most of the paintings he made were with his fingertips as it gave him a sense of joy and brought out a better feeling in the paintings.
- After hearing the news of Pandu’s death, film producer and director G Dhananjayan posted a tweet on his Twitter account to offer his condolences to the family.
Better to switch off from all social media for sometime. Very shocking to read this morning news. #RIPPandu sir, one of the finest human beings & actors.
Going to be on home quarantine for some days. Be safe at home friends. Take care. Very challenging days ahead 🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/yAvNwmjRms
— Dr. Dhananjayan G (@Dhananjayang) May 6, 2021