Veteran actor and director E A Rajendran died in Pattathanam here on Thursday, film industry sources said.He was 71.According to industry sources, he had been undergoing treatment for the past few months.The funeral will be held at his native place in Thrithallur, Thrissur, on Friday.Rajendran was the brother-in-law of actor Mukesh and the son-in-law of noted theatre director O Madhavan.After marrying Sandhya, daughter of Madhavan and sister of Mukesh, they settled in Pattathanam, Kollam.An alumnus of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, and the Film and Television Institute of India, Rajendran began his career as a theatre artist.He made his film debut with “Greeshman” in 1981 and went on to act in more than 50 films.His last film was “Oru Perumkaliyattam”, directed by Jayaraj, in 2023.He had also worked with the State Horticulture Corporation.Rajendran is survived by wife, Sandhya Rajendran, and his son, Divyadarshan.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the actor’s demise.