Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 18 (IANS): Noted Malayalam actor Kundara Johny passed away after suffering a heart attack at a hospital here, industry sources said on Wednesday.

The 71-year-old actor, who made a mark in the film industry as villain, complained of uneasiness at his home on Tuesday night and was rushed to a hospital where he breathed his last.

His funeral will be held on Thursday at Kollam, his home town, the sources said.

Born as Johny Joseph, he was popularly known as Kundara Johnny as he hailed from Kundara in Kollam district.

Johny, who has acted in over a 100 films, made his debut in 1979 and was an integral part of the film industry.

A well built and tall actor, he was often the first choice for playing the villain role which he did exceedingly well.

Films that earned him critical acclaim include 'Kireedam',' Chenkol', 'August 15', 'Spadikam', 'Aaram Thampuran', and 'Dada Sahib'.

Condoling his demise, State Minister for Culture and Cinema Saji Cherian said he had recently met the actor at his home town while inaugurating a function attached to a Club, in which the patron was Johnny.

"Johnny essayed the role of the villain with ease and always played his role well," recalled Cherian