Singer AL Raghavan passes away at 80

Veteran playback singer and actor AL Raghavan passed away on Friday after he suffered a massive heart attack. After he complained of severe chest pain, he was rushed to Ramachandra Hospital in Chennai where he breathed his last at around 7.30 in the morning.

He is survived by his wife, MN Rajam. She is also a popular character artiste who has been appearing in Kollywood cinema in memorable roles for several decades. While the family has not yet issued any official statement about the funeral, his mortal remains will be taken to his residence in Royapettah in the city.

AL Raghavan rose to his fame for his evergreen song, Engirundhalum Vaazhga, from the film Nenjirikkum Varai. Composed by Sridhar, the song is a timeless classic that is still found in playlists of many fans.

He started his career in the entertainment industry as a singer in the year 1947 with Krishna Vijayam. During his active years, he has crooned his voice to hundreds of songs in the Tamil film industry. His last song was Nalla Ketuka Paadam for the 2014 film Aadama Jeichomada. Social media is flooded with messages of condolences to the singer’s family.