Tamil comedian Vadivel Balaji died today at the age of 45 at the Government hospital in Chennai. He was admitted to the hospital after he reportedly suffered a heart attack.

The untimely demise of Balaji, who rose to fame with TV shows Adhu Idhu Edhu and Kalaka Povadhu Yaaru, is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

According to ETimes, the comedian had been undergoing treatment for 15 days as he got paralysed following the heart attack.

His family had to shift him to a couple of other hospitals before finaly admitting him to the government hospital due to financial constraints.

Balaji, who was also an actor, was shooting for Mr & Mrs Chinnathirai 2 until a couple of weeks ago. Later, he was eliminated from the show.

He made his debut on television with Kalaka Povadhu Yaaru. He went on to be featured in Adhu Idhu Edhu, after which he caught the attention of people. The show was hosted by Sivakarthikeyan.

ETimes reported that Balaji had developed a good bond with Sivakarthikeyan during the show.

Balaji was a part of Vijay TV’s comedy team. He was also a member of the 'Siricha Pochu' team. The comedian would often impress guests as he made them laugh single-handedly. On the other hand, rest of the participants would entertain guests in pair or as a team.

He also played roles in a few Tamil films and was also known for imitating popular comedian Vadivelu. Owing to the imitation, people started calling him Vadivel Balaji. As per India Today, Vadivelu appreciated Balaji for his mimicry.

The comedian was last seen in Kolamaavu Kokila, which starred Nayanthara in the lead role. The movie was directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, who was the script writer on a popular television channel. It was Nelson’s debut movie as a director.