Actor Mohanraj, popular for his character 'Keerikadan Jose' in Mohanlal-starrer 'Kireedam', has passed away.

Actor and producer Dinesh Paniker notified the news about Mohanraj's passing in a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon. "He passed away around 3 pm at his residence in Kanjiramkulam (Thiruvananthapuram). The cremation will be held tomorrow," Paniker wrote.

Mohanraj was working as an enforcement officer when he was introduced to director Sibi Malayil, who was looking for a villain.

At 6 feet 2 inches and weighing 101 kg, Mohanraj made a great first impression on the director and writer Lohithadas. His 'Keerikadan Jose' became a cult hit, and Mohanraj became Malayalam's most sought-after villain. He acted in over 300 films, including a few in Telugu, Tamil and even two in Japanese.