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After A Flop Debut, Manobala Delivered Back To Back Hits; Know His Story- News18

May 4 2023

Actor-director Manobala passes away at 69

May 3 2023

Early life

Manobala was born as Balachandar² in a Marungoor village near Thirumarugal , Nagapattinam District, but did most of his primary education in Bangalore and Thirukattupalli for grades 10 and 11. He later studied at the Government College of Fine Arts, when he started writing articles under the pen name Manobala, and also learnt Bharatanatyam and the Veena.³⁴

Career

Manobala started his career in Tamil cinema in the early 1970s and with a reference from Kamal Haasan became an assistant director for Bharathiraja's 1979 film Puthiya Vaarpugal.⁵⁶ He continued to work as his assistant director for Niram Maaratha Pookkal (1979) and Tik Tik Tik (1981).⁷ He made his directorial debut with Agaya Gangai (1982) but it was a box office failure.⁸ His second film as director, Pillai Nila (1985) was more successful.⁹

Manobala continued to direct with such films as Oorkavalan (1987), En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan (1989), and Dhoorathu Pachai (1987) which were critically acclaimed by the critics and were well received by audiences.¹⁰ He often collaborated with some of the leading actors of his generation, including Vijayakanth, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Karthik.¹¹ He made his Bollywood debut as director with Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai (1990),¹² and his television serial directorial debut with Panchavaranam. He had directed 24 films in his career, but he later focused his career as an actor in the 2000s when he began working full time as an actor.¹³

Manobala appeared in over 976 films.¹⁴¹⁵ He played minor roles in most of the films as he regularly shared screenspace with veteran comedians Vadivelu and Vivek. He was known for his comic roles in films including Ice, Nanban, Chandramukhi, Pithamagan, Thamizh Padam, Kavalai Vendam, Kalakalappu, Siruthai, Alex Pandian, Aranmanai, Aambala, and Yaaradi Nee Mohini.¹⁶ Manobala made his debut as film producer with H. Vinoth's directorial venture Sathuranga Vettai, for which he received the Best Debut Film Producer award at the South Indian International Movie Awards.¹⁷

Manobala launched a YouTube channel named "Waste Paper", where he interviewed several directors and actors.¹⁸ In 2022, he received a doctorate degree from the South Western American University in recognition of his contributions to films. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Global Achievers Council.¹⁹ He featured as one of the contestants in the reality television show Cooku with Comali in 2022.²⁰

Personal life

Manobala was married to Usha Mahadevan, and they have a son.²¹

Death

Manobala died at his residence in Chennai on 3 May 2023, reportedly due to liver issues, at age 69.²²²³²⁴ Prior to this, he had also undergone an angio treatment in January 2023 after experiencing chest pain.²⁵²⁶ He was a heavy smoker of cigarettes and was addicted to smoking during the peak of his career as a film director.²⁷²⁸

Partial filmography

Director

Films

Serials

As an actor

Tamil films

Telugu films

Malayalam films

Television

As producer

As dubbing artist

Notes

External links

• Manobala at IMDb

References

1. "Actor-filmmaker Manobala passes away at 69". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/actor-filmmaker-manobala-passes-away-at-69-8589206/ ↩

2. பாரதிராஜாவிடம் சேர்த்துவிட்ட கமல்ஹாசன் - Actor & Director Mano Bala – Part -1Chai with Chitra. Touring Talkies. 31 January 2020. Event occurs at 3:26. Archived from the original on 5 April 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cRktSK-tsE ↩

3. Narayan, Pushpa (4 May 2023). "Manobala, filmmaker who evolved into a comic, dies at 69 in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/manobala-filmmaker-who-evolved-into-a-comic-dies-at-69-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/99971857.cms ↩

4. Saravanan, T. (8 January 2011). "Always in reckoning". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2023. https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/Always-in-reckoning/article15512011.ece ↩

5. Narayan, Pushpa (4 May 2023). "Manobala, filmmaker who evolved into a comic, dies at 69 in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/manobala-filmmaker-who-evolved-into-a-comic-dies-at-69-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/99971857.cms ↩

6. "Suhasini Maniratnam: 'You will never find a director who can plan as well as Manobala'". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/suhasini-maniratnam-you-can-never-find-a-director-who-can-plan-as-well-as-manobala-8589458/ ↩

7. "Veteran Tamil director and actor Manobala passes away at 69". The New Indian Express. 8 May 2023. https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/May/03/veteran-director-and-actor-manobala-passes-away-2571698.html ↩

8. "After A Flop Debut, Manobala Delivered Back To Back Hits; Know His Story". News18. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://www.news18.com/entertainment/tamil-cinema/after-a-flop-debut-manobala-delivered-back-to-back-hits-know-his-story-7723471.html ↩

9. "Suhasini Maniratnam: 'You will never find a director who can plan as well as Manobala'". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/suhasini-maniratnam-you-can-never-find-a-director-who-can-plan-as-well-as-manobala-8589458/ ↩

10. "Manobala dies at 69: Vijay, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and others pay tribute to actor-filmmaker". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/manobala-dies-at-69-celebrities-pay-tribute-to-actor-filmmaker-live-updates-8589397/ ↩

11. "Manobala dies at 69: Vijay, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and others pay tribute to actor-filmmaker". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/manobala-dies-at-69-celebrities-pay-tribute-to-actor-filmmaker-live-updates-8589397/ ↩

12. "Manobala: Unknown facts about the late actor-comedian". 28 January 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2vpl4cmYBw ↩

13. "Actor-filmmaker Manobala passes away at 69". The Indian Express. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/tamil/actor-filmmaker-manobala-passes-away-at-69-8589206/ ↩

14. "Manobala: Unknown facts about the late actor-comedian". 28 January 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2vpl4cmYBw ↩

15. His filmography section as an actor likely has less than 976 films because either his scenes did not make the final cut for some films or some of his films weren't released yet. ↩

16. "Actor-director Manobala gets a doctorate". The Times of India. 24 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/actor-director-manobala-gets-a-doctorate/articleshow/91053106.cms ↩

17. Moments of Manobala at the SIIMA Awards | #RIPManobala #ytshorts (in Tamil). SIIMA. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023 – via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7fIyrXLfuM ↩

18. "Here's What Actor Manobala Said In Last Interview And Tweet". News18. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023. https://www.news18.com/entertainment/telugu-cinema/heres-what-actor-manobala-said-in-last-interview-and-tweet-7722985.html ↩

19. "Actor-director Manobala gets a doctorate". The Times of India. 24 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/actor-director-manobala-gets-a-doctorate/articleshow/91053106.cms ↩

20. "Actor-director Manobala passes away at 69 in Chennai". India Today. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/actor-director-manobala-passes-away-at-69-in-chennai-2367967-2023-05-03 ↩

21. Narayan, Pushpa (4 May 2023). "Manobala, filmmaker who evolved into a comic, dies at 69 in Tamil Nadu". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/manobala-filmmaker-who-evolved-into-a-comic-dies-at-69-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/99971857.cms ↩

22. "Tamil actor-director Manobala passes away in Chennai". Onmanorama. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023. https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/05/03/tamil-actor-director-manobala-passes-away.html ↩

23. "Tamil actor-director Manobala passes away at 69, Rajinikanth pays tribute". The Times of India. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/tamil-actor-director-manobala-passes-away-at-69-rajinikanth-pays-tribute/articleshow/99950855.cms ↩

24. "Actor-director Manobala passes away at 69". The Hindu. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023. https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/actor-director-manobala-passes-away-at-69/article66807025.ece ↩

25. "Veteran director and actor Manobala passes away". Cinema Express. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023. https://www.cinemaexpress.com/tamil/news/2023/may/03/veteran-comedian-manobala-passes-away-42974.html ↩

26. "Actor, director and producer Manobala passes away". The Times of India. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/actor-director-and-producer-manobala-passes-away/articleshow/99955868.cms ↩

27. "When Manobala said he used to smoke 200 cigarettes a day when was a director". India Today. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 3 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023. https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/manobala-passes-away-used-to-smoke-200-cigarettes-a-day-2368007-2023-05-03 ↩

28. "Multiple movie stars have died from alcohol-related causes; the controversy sparks due to Mansoor Ali Khan's remarks at Manobala's funeral". The Times of India. 4 May 2023. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/multiple-movie-stars-have-died-from-alcohol-related-causes-the-controversy-sparks-due-to-mansoor-ali-khans-remarks-at-manobalas-funeral/articleshow/99981165.cms ↩

29. "Naangam Pirai 3D Movie Review". The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/naangam-pirai-3d/movie-review/18753812.cms ↩

30. Dubbed in Hindi (2021)[24][25] ↩

31. Dubbed in Kannada as Preethsu (2022)[26] ↩

32. "Chiclets Movie Review: An Adult Comedy That Fails To Impress". TimesNow. 1 February 2024. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024. https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/reviews/tamil/chiclets-movie-review-a-blend-of-adult-comedy-family-drama-review-107331698 ↩

33. "Ragini Dwivedi & Muruga Ashok's 'Email' censored U/A". The Times of India. 3 January 2024. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/ragini-dwivedi-muruga-ashoks-email-censored-u/a/articleshow/106517759.cms?from=mdr ↩

34. "Operation LailaUA". The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-details/operation-laila/movieshow/107779893.cms ↩

35. "Ninaivellam Neeyada Movie Review : An overlong romantic drama filled with superfluous and silly moments". The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/ninaivellam-neeyada/movie-review/107964523.cms ↩

36. "Inga Naan Thaan Kingu Movie Review: Santhanam returns with some solid laughs". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-reviews/inga-naan-thaan-kingu/amp_movie_review/110199821.cms ↩