Tamil Comedian And Filmmaker Manobala Passes Away

Popular Tamil film actor and director Manobala passed away in Chennai on Wednesday, reportedly following a battle with liver-related complications. The actor, who is survived by his wife Usha and son Harish, has acted in over 200 titles ever since his debut in his mentor Bharathiraja’s Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979), for which he also assisted the director.

The actor soon came to be known for his roles that showcased his characteristic self-deprecating humour. His notable performances in this genre include Vijay’s Minsara Kanna (1999) which saw him play the villain’s henchman, Vikram and Suriya’s Pithamagan (2003), where he essayed the role of a swindler and Suriya’s uncle, an exhausted ticket conductor in Anniyan (2005), a naive advertisement man in Ghajini (2005), and Santhanam’s hilarious rival in Kalakalappu (2012). 

Manobala has also directed films such as Rajinikanth’s Oorkavalan (1987), Vijayakanth’s En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan (1989), and Sivaji Ganesan’s Paarambariyam (1993), among others. The actor was last seen in 2023 releases Waltair Veerayya and Ghosty.