While receiving treatment for his illness, he passed away on Thursday, at a private hospital in Vannarpet, Nellai. Prominent personnel, including the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and film stars, have expressed their condolences for his passing.

It is worth remembering that in 2021, Nellai Kannan praised Stalin as an "indispensable leader of multiple generations who is providing a vision not just for Tamil Nadu but for entire India"

Nellai Kannan is a politically astute orator who has the knowledge to speak from the beginning to the end of any literary work, beginning with the Kamba Ramayana.