Late actor Murali was one of the leading stars in the Tamil film industry during the 80s. The son of legendary Kannada filmmaker K. Siddharamalingaiah he made his debut in 'Poovilangu' produced by K. Balachander and directed by Ameerjan. His super hit films include 'Geethanjali', 'Pagal Nilavu', 'Paalam', 'Pudhu Vasantham', 'Porkaalam', 'Kaalamellaam Kadhal Vaazhga' and 'Vettri Kodi Kattu'. After his authentic portrayal of a introverted person who cannot express his love in 'Idhayam' he came to be known as 'Idhayam Murali'.

In 2010, Murali passed away at the age of 46 due to a massive heart attack. He is survived by his wife Shobha and three children. His son Atharva is one of the famous young heroes in Tamil cinema while his younger son Akash is making his acting debut in a new movie produced by Xavier Britto a relative of Thalapathy Vijay. Akash is also married to Britto's daughter Sneha.

Murali's eldest daughter Kavya keeps a low profile and seldom appears in public. Her photos with her mother and brothers have now gone viral. Fans are commenting about her strong resemblance to her father as well as her brothers.