Pandiyan

Pandiyan (5 January 1960 – 10 January 2008) was an Indian actor and politician who acted in lead roles in the 1980s and supporting roles from the 1990s.

Pandiyan acted in over 75 films in his career. Some of his popular films include Mann Vasanai (1983), Pudhumai Penn (1984), Aan Paavam (1985), Mannukketha Ponnu (1985), Marudhani (1985), Muthal Vasantham (1986), Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi (1987), Aankalai Nambathey (1987) and Sathan Sollai Thattathe (1990).

Pandiyan was born as Pandikannan to parents Solairaj and Saraswathi in Chettikurichi, a town in the erstwhile Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu in a Gavara Chettiar family. He married Latha and has one children Solai Ragavendran alias Raghu (born 1990). He was selling bangles in his family owned jewellery shop in Madurai, India when he was spotted by director Bharathiraja who offered him the lead role in the film Mann Vasanai (1983) which became a box-office hit. He joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in 2001.

Pandiyan died at age of 48 due to liver failure and viral hepatitis on 10 January 2008.