CHENNAI: Noted Tamil actor and theatre artist Bala Singh died here on Wednesday following brief illness, the South Indian Artistes' Association said.

Bala Singh (67) was not keeping well for some time and breathed his last at a hospital this morning, SIAA said in a release and condoled his demise.

A renowned actor, he made his debut in M Nasser-directed 'Avatharam' and went on to feature in many films, donning a variety of roles including those with negative shades.

His notable performances include Kamal Haasan's directorial venture 'Virumandi' and actor Dhanush's 'Puthupetta', a gangster flick.

SIAA said his demise is a great loss to the Tamil cinema industry. Bala Singh was a theatre artist before he began his career as an actor in Tamil films. Though he stepped foot in Malayalam in 1983, it was his Tamil debut flick Avatharam (1995) that got him the big break.