Actor Kollam Ajith is no more

Actor Kollam Ajith

, who has played villain roles in many Malayalam films, is no more.

He passed away in a private hospital in Kochi around 3.40 am on April 5, after a prolonged disease which had reportedly affected his stomach. Ajith was 56 years old and he is survived by wife Prameela and children Gayathri and Srihari.

Ajith, who started off as an assistant director, was given an acting offer by the renowned director Padmarajan in his film 'Parannu Parannu Parannu,' in 1983. From there on, both of them have collaborated in numerous projects. In the 1989 film 'Agnipravesham,' Ajith debuted as a hero as well. His last project was the 2012 film 'Ardhanari.' In the nineties, he has also worked in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industries and Ajith also has a handful of TV shows to his credit. The actor had also directed two movies, a few years ago.