The year 2021 is turning out to be a real nightmare for Tamil cinema as five months into it we have witnessed the passing away of immensely talented celebrities including Vivek, K.V. Anand, Thamira and Pandu.

News has just broken out that veteran comedian Nellai Siva has passed away today due to a sudden illness. A shocked Kollywood fraternity is posting tributes on social media after hearing the news.

Nellai Siva who is known for speaking the Tirunelveli slang to perfection has also tutored many leading actors when playing characters from the area. He debuted in Pandiarajan's cult classic 'Aan Paavam' released in the year 1985 and has since appeared in hundreds of films.

Nellai Siva recently had a recurring role in the popular tele serial 'Pandian Stores' which is enjoying a long run on Vijay TV. RIP!