Malayalam film actor Santhosh K Nayar died in a road accident in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala early Tuesday.

His car collided with a van in the early hours. His wife, who was travelling with him, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at a hospital, reports NDTV.

Santhosh K Nayar, who made his film debut with the 1982 movie Ithu Njangalude Katha, appeared in more than 100 films over his career. He was widely recognised for his roles portraying villains as well as comic characters.

Born on November 12, 1960, in Thiruvananthapuram, he hailed from an educated family. His father, C N Kesavan Nair, was a retired headmaster, while his mother, P Rajalakshmiamma, was a retired teacher.

During his college years, he was actively involved in politics. Although his sisters pursued careers in medicine as gynecologists, he chose acting as his profession.

He also shared a close association with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, as both studied at MG College. Santhosh pursued a degree in Mathematics, while Mohanlal studied Commerce.

In interviews, he often recalled their college days, noting that despite being of similar age, Mohanlal became his senior after Santhosh temporarily left his studies to pursue engineering before completing his degree later.

His final on-screen appearance was in Mohaniyattam, which is currently running in theatres. The film, released on April 10, serves as a sequel to Bharathanatyam and is set to stream on Netflix from May 8.

Directed by Krishnadas Murali, the film follows the story of Sasidharan Nair's family caught in a tense situation. The cast also includes Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vinay Forrt and Jagadish.