Tamil actor-director Manobala passes away at 69, Rajinikanth pays tribute

Veteran Tamil actor, comedian, director, and producer Manobala passed away at his residence in Chennai on Wednesday at the age of 69. He was suffering from liver-related issues and was undergoing an angio treatment at a private hospital since January this year. His demise has left the entire Kollywood industry in a state of shock. 

Popular actor Rajnikanth took to Twitter to pay his tribute. Rajinikanth’s tweet can be translated to: "I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my dear friend Manobala, a famous director and actor. My condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace." 

Besides Rajnikanth, Producer G Dhananjayan took to Twitter and paid his tribute. He tweeted: “Shocking and it's unbelievable such a sweet person and a good friend Manobala sir passed away. Heartfelt condolences to the family. May his soul rest in peace (sic).”  

Actor Gautham Karthik tweeted, “Heartbreaking to hear that director/actor Manobala sir is no longer with us. Was a true pleasure to work with you sir! You will be surely missed! Condolences to family, friends and loved ones...” 

Soon after the news about Manobala's demise broke on social media, fans have been sending condolence messages. 

Manobala debuted as an actor and assistant director in the 1979 Bharathiraja film Puthiya Vaarpugal. He had acted in over 900 films as an actor in a career spanning over five decades. 

In the early years of his career, he was known for movies, such as Agaya Gangai, Parambariyam, En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan, Rajinikanth’s Oorkavalan, Malluvetti Minor, and Pillai Nila. 

Later, he also acted as a supporting actor. His comedy performances in films like Kalakalappu, the Tamizh Padam franchise, and the Aranmanai franchise were highly popular in Kollywood.   

His last on-screen appearance was in Kajal Aggarwal’s Tamil horror comedy, Ghosty. Manobala is survived by his wife Usha and son Harish.