Surangani singer passes away

Popular pop-singer AE Manohar, fondly known as Ceylon Manohar, passed away in Chennai yesterday due to age-related ailments. The singer-actor from Sri Lanka breathed his last at his residence in Thiruvanmiyur at the age of 73.

He was most known for his cult hit, Surangani, a Sinhala pop song that was hugely popular in the 70s and 80s in Tamil Nadu. The song was famously brought to life on the silver screen by Ilayaraja in the film Avar Enake Sontham, with Malaysia Vasudevan taking up the vocals. 

Manohar, who began his career as a singer with the band, Great Friends Enterprises, and went on to become a pop sensation with the hits, Chinna Maamiye and Urikka Urikka. At his peak, he performed concerts in countries like Singapore, UK, and Australia.

Manohar also acted in more than 260 films in Sinhala, Tamil, and Hindi. He has shared screen space with Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Sivaji Ganesan, Dharmendra and other stars. Towards the later part of his career, he also played important roles in Tamil television serials such as Athipookal, Thirumathi Selvam and Anjali.