Noted theatre personality and educationist S. Rajagopal, popularly known as ‘Ambi’, died in the city on Thursday. He was 80.

The brother of late actor and playwright Cho Ramaswamy, Rajagopal was one of the founders of Viveka Fine Arts Club along with actors Neelu and Narayanaswamy.

“After passing out of Vivekananda College, Viveka Fine Arts Club was formed by them and Ambi had a major role. He didn’t just act, he lived every role he was given on stage and would immediately grasp the character given,” recalled S.V. Sankaran, who was associated with Viveka Arts as its manager for nearly 50 years.

“Many people, including Sivaji Ganesan used to say that they would go to see a play by Viveka Fine Arts only to see Ambi’s performance,” recalled actor Y. Gee. Mahendra. He added that Rajagopal was a natural on stage, who could create humour out of any situation.

Besides starring in several stage productions of Viveka Arts, Rajagopal also took a keen interest in making quality education accessible for all children through his institution, the La Chatelaine Junior College. The residential school, which also caters to day scholars in the nearby areas, aims at providing affordable education and good infrastructure.

“He was extremely committed towards providing quality education,” said actor S. Ve. Shekher.

“He was like a family member and was always encouraging us actors. His performances in Madras by Night and Mohammed Bin Tughlaq were extremely memorable and his extraordinary sense of timing on stage is something that many of us have admired,” he said.