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Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 25: Malayalam actor Ravi Vallathol, well-known for his acting in television serials and movies, passed away on Saturday at a hospital here, family sources said.

Vallathol, son of drama legend T N Gopinathan Nair and Soudamini, was the nephew of the famous Malayalam poet Vallathol Narayana Menon.

The veteran actor had appeared in around 50 Malayalam movies and more than 50 television serials starting from1986 with the serial 'Vaitharani' on Doordarshan.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan expressed condolences on the passing away of the actor.

"He had an extraordinary ability to immortalise the characters with a wide range of emotions," Vijayan said, adding that, his demise was a loss to both theatre, film and TV serial industry.

Opposition Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also condoled the demise of the Vallathol.

Chennithala remembered Vallathol as a brilliant writer and social activist. Vallathol made his film debut in 'Swathi Thirunal' directed by the late Lenin Rajendran in 1987.

He had also played versatile characters in hit movies movies including Godfather, Mathilukal, Sargam, Vidheyan, Kottayam Kunjachan, Naalu Penningal, Idukki Gold among others.

He has penned more than 25 short stories among which two were adapted into television series.

He is survived by his wife Geethalakshmi.

Kolkata, Jun 2: Artistes of the Bengali film industry are trying to get the best out of their creative side amid the lockdown, with many of them giving shape to innovative concepts and ideas to hook the audience.

A short film 'Grub Ne Bana Di Jodi', with RJ-actor Mir Afsar Ali in the lead, transcends boundaries to bring couples from around the world together on one platform, as they engage in discussions on food and culture.

The shot-at-home film, directed by Satrajit Sen, has Ali giving couples tasks to test their culinary skills.

"This is the time to try new concepts and that, too, without the usual technical support. There is no box office pressure, and people can take their own sweet time to watch the film on YouTube," he said.

Actor Vikram Chatterjee, who recently completed the shoot of 'Pabitra Puppies', a web series about seven friends bonding over video games, said it was an "altogether different experience" with no crew to assist him at home.

"The shooting process was complicated but we had a lot of fun. I was in Mumbai when the lockdown was imposed.

Coordinating with the director and other cast members wasn't easy, but this phase has taught us how to overcome challenges," Chatterjee said.

The series, also starring Sohini Sarkar and Saayoni Ghosh, will be streaming on Hoichoi soon.

Director Shieladitya Moulik's third outing on YouTube, amid the lockdown, has garnered good reviews.

The short film 'Eye Candy' tells the story of a blind couple who had been finding ways to connect with each other.

"I wanted to talk about long-distance relationships, and the problems faced by couples in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, but not without a twist. I hope the viewers enjoy the short," Moulik said.

Mumbai, Jun 15: Maharashtra police's cyber department has asked people to refrain from circulating online pictures of the body of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found hanging in his apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area.

Terming it as a "disturbing trend", it warned that circulation of such pictures could attract legal action.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging in his apartment on Sunday, sending shockwaves rippling through the Hindi film industry and elsewhere.

Later, some people circulated pictures of the actor's body on social media platforms, following which the state police's cyber department said it was in "bad taste".

A disturbing trend has been observed on Social Media platforms by Maharashtra Cyber that pictures of deceased actor Sushant Singh Rajput are being circulated, which are disturbing and in bad taste," it tweeted late Sunday night.

"It is emphasised that circulation of such pictures is against legal guidelines and court directions, and are liable to invite legal action," it added.

Urging netizens to refrain from posting such photos, the cyber department said the pictures already circulated should be deleted henceforth.

"In the digital age, every piece of information we read or watch needs to be cross-checked, verified and we all have to be careful before believing or forwarding them," it said.

After the actor's death, police said no note was found at the spot.

Police sources also said they did not find any foul play in their initial investigation.