Actor-director Marimuthu of Ethir Neechal fame dies at 58

Director-actor G Marimuthu, who had worked with the likes of Maniratnam and almost became a household name in Tamil Nadu for a role he essayed in a popular television serial, died here on Friday after suffering a heart attack. He was 58 and is survived by his wife Backiyalakshmi and children, Ishwarya and Akilan. 

Marimuthu felt uncomfortable on Friday when he was dubbing for Ethir Neechal, a serial telecast on Sun TV, and was rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Hailing from Theni district in southern Tamil Nadu, Marimuthu came to Chennai in the 1980s looking for opportunities in the film world and worked as assistant directors to Maniratnam, and Vasanth among others. 

He directed only two films – Kannum Kannum (2008) and Pulivaal (2014) – but acted in over 50 Tamil movies, making a name for himself. He was last seen on the silver screen in Rajinikanth-starrer Jailer.

A multi-faceted personality, Marimuthu also tried his hand at writing and was known for airing bold opinions on social issues. His criticism of astrology while participating in a talk show on a private Tamil television channel went viral last month. 

But Marimuthu’s moment of reckoning came in Ethir Neechal, a highly successful serial which talks about how women in a rich family are being enslaved by their husbands, with his dialogues in the soap opera providing fodder to the thriving Tamil meme industry. 

Essaying the role of the eldest son of a family, Marimuthu went onto become a household name with people calling him as Adhi Gunasekaran, the name of his character in the serial. He played a negative character – a dominant male member who looks down on women members of the family – in the serial. 

In the past few months, Marimuthu was also seen giving interviews to several YouTube channels in which he spoke about his life journey. His last rites will be conducted in his native village in Theni district on Saturday. 

Condolences poured in for Marimuthu with Chief Minister M K Stalin, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, directors, actors, and politicians paying rich tributes to the departed soul.