MUMBAI: Veteran Malayalam actor M S Trippunithara died of a cardiac arrest, early today in Palakkad. The actor breathed his last, while returning to hometown Kochi after a shooting assignment.

Trippunithara, 64, started his career as a stage actor. He shifted to films in the 1980s. He soon excelled as a supporting actor and a comedian and went on to receive several awards.

The advent of satellite television in Kerala brought Trippunithara to the mini screen, where he brought to life a number of memorable characters. He has acted in various popular serials telecast on Malayalam channels Asianet and Surya TV. Trippunithara has been doing a key role in the Asianet prime time soap Mantrakodi at the time of his death.

"M S Trippunithara has been a part of the Asianet family and his death is a huge loss to the channel," Asianet programming head Sreekantan Nair told indiantelevision.com. "Watching him acting never gave a feeling that he was actually acting. We have lost a great human being and a fine actor," Nair added.