Veteran character actor Jagannatha Varma died in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Tuesday morning at a private hospital, according to hospital sources.
He was reportedly suffering from an unspecified age-related illness and was in the hospital for the last few days.
The 77-year-old had acted in close to 200 films and two dozen TV serials in a career spanning close to four decades.
Besides being an accomplished actor, he was also a kathakali artist and a percussionist.
Varma began his official career as a police officer and retired in the rank of superindent of police, after which he was active in the film industry.
He was often seen in character roles and played roles such as police officers and priests, among others.
Some of the popular films he acted in include blockbusters such as New Delhi, Ee Sabdam Innathe Sabdam, Yodha and Lelam.
He is survived by his wife, son Manu, who is a popular TV actor, and a daughter.
