Versatile Malayalam actor Rajan P Dev, who was admitted to a private hospital following liver problems, passed away here early today . He was under treatment for liver disease for a long time. He is survived by his wife Santha, daughter Ashamma and son Jibile Raj. Funeral ceremony will be held Thursday at 11 am. A veteran theater artiste, Rajan P Dev had won state award for the best theater actor in 1984 and 86. Among several plays he acted, 'Kaattukuthira' was  prominent one, which was, in fact, a turning point in his life. Dev immortalised the character Kochu Vava in the hit play "Kattukuthira" that was staged over a thousand times across Kerala.

In a career spanning close to three decades, he acted in about 180 films, including those in Tamil, Telegu and Kannada. It was his unique ability to add humor to villainous characters. Dev's last film was "Ee Patanathil Bhootham", starring superstar Mammootty, which is currently running in theatres.