Actor Ponnambalam, who once sent shivers down the spine with his villainous roles in films like 'Nayak' and 'Rakshak', is now bedridden, his health wrecked by years of alcohol addiction. The man who was once the go-to face for action and menace in Tamil cinema, and left a mark in Hindi films too, is now surviving on dialysis, with both kidneys having failed. (News18 Hindi)

Ponnambalam's story is as heartbreaking as it is familiar in the world of cinema. A feared onscreen antagonist in the 90s and early 2000s, he shared screen space with big stars like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith, Sarathkumar, Sathyaraj, and Vijayakanth. His towering presence and raw physicality made him a natural choice for menacing roles. Hindi audiences remember him as Ranga, the dreaded villain in 'Nayak', and for his role opposite Suniel Shetty in 'Rakshak'. (News18 Hindi)

He started his film journey as a stuntman and was known for executing risky action scenes without a single injury. That earned him the nickname "Spare Parts" in the industry. He made his acting debut in 1988 with 'Kaliyugam' and later appeared in a string of Tamil hits like 'Apoorva Sagodharargal', 'Vetri Vizha', 'Micheal Madana Kama Rajan', and 'Mannava Kaval'. At his peak, he acted in ten films in a single year. (News18 Hindi)

He has had to spend over Rs 35 lakh on treatment. "Sarath Kumar was the first to help. Then Dhanush and Arjun pitched in. Even Chiranjeevi helped me financially, despite a fight we once had on set. But many others in the industry didn’t even ask how I was living," he said. (News18 Hindi)Ponnambalam has been married for 25 years but says he’s faced this illness alone. "I’ve never called my family to the hospital. I live by myself," he said. (News18 Hindi)