Established Tamil actor Rajesh, whose real name was Rajesh Williams, was born on December 20, 1949, at Mannargudi, Tamil Nadu. He died on May 29, 2025, at the age of 75. He had a heart attack when he was being taken to a Chennai hospital in an ambulance after showing symptoms of breathing troubles and low blood pressure that morning. He sadly died during the journey to the hospital.
Rajesh’s highly successful career lasted for more than half a century, during which time he appeared in over 150 Tamil and Malayalam films, besides several television serials. He entered the film world with an unnoticeable role in K. Balachander’s “Aval Oru Thodarkadhai” (1974) and established himself with starring roles in films such as “Kanni Paruvathile” (1979). His catholicity saw him move quite easily from lead roles to character roles, and he won praise for his work in “Achamillai Achamillai,” “Andha Ezhu Naatkal,” and “Payanangal Mudivathillai.”
Apart from acting, Rajesh was actively involved in other ventures. He was the chairman of the M.G.R. Film and Television Institute since 2022, worked as a writer and dubbing artist, and also made forays into the hotel and real estate sectors. His dedication to the art form was also seen in anchoring astrology shows and writing Tamil biographies of Hollywood actors.
The Tamil film community and fans across the globe mourn his passing. Tributes flooded in from prominent leaders, such as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and actor Rajinikanth, who recalled Rajesh as an excellent person and a valued colleague. His son, Deepak, posted a heart-wrenching memory of the last moments of his father, telling how Rajesh took his hand and kissed it before he died. Rajesh leaves behind his son Deepak and daughter Divya.
