There are very few stars who have acted alongside Tamil cinema legends MGR and Sivaji Ganesan and then with Superstar Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan and have also gone on to work with the next generation of actors like Ajith and Vijay. One of those very few stars is Gopalarathnam, who was a stage actor who then entered movies. He made his cinematic debut in 1965 through the movie Naanal, directed by K. Balachander. He shot to fame through his role as a typist in the 1967 movie Aalayam and hence came to be known with the stage name of Typist Gopu!

A Kalaimamani recipient in 2002, Gopu has acted alongside almost all the actors of Tamil cinema, since he debuted in 1965. He has also been a part of over 600 stage plays and has also acted in TV serials and Telugu movies. Aged 82, Gopu has not been actively seen in movies or serials for some time now. We hear that he has been residing in Royapettah, with his family.

After Gopu's health suddenly deteriorated, he was admitted to a private hospital and had been receiving intensive care. The veteran actor passed away on Wednesday in Chennai due to prolonged illness at the age of 85. Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of the legendary actor.