Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 6 - National best actor award winner and veteran Malayalam actor Murali died at a private hospital here Thursday night. He was 55.

Murali was admitted to hospital Wednesday following breathing problems and liver complaints. He suffered a cardiac arrest.

In recent times, Malayalam filmdom has lost veteran film director Lohithadas (in June) and last month character actor Rajan P. Dev also died.

Murali was appointed chairman of the Sangeetha Nataka Academy which has its headquarters in Trissur, soon after the present V.S. Achuthanandan government assumed office in 2006.

He has acted in more than 200 Malayalam and a few Tamil movies in a film career that began in the early 80s.

Murali, who hails from Kollam, entered Malayalam films after a promising stint in theatre.

After finishing his degree in law, he worked in the health department and later at the Kerala University. But acting is what beckoned him, and he quit his job and plunged into a full-time acting career.