Veteran director and actor Manobala passes away

Renowned actor-director Manobala passed away on Wednesday after suffering a liver-related ailment. The 69-year-old was reportedly ailing for 15 days and was taken to a private hospital in Chennai for treatment, where he breathed his last. 

Known for his strong comic roles, Manobala regularly collaborated with the biggest stars in Tamil cinema. The actor, producer and director began his career with the 1979's Puthiya Vaarpugal, assisting director  Bharathiraaja. 

Having starred in more than 200 films, Manobala also had 24 films to his credit as director. His debut directorial feature was Aagaya Gangai in 1982, which starred Karthick and Suhasini in lead roles. His famous directorials include, Oorkavalan (1987) with Rajinikanth in the lead, Pillai Nilla (1985) headlined by Mohan, and En Purushanthaan Enakku Mattumthaan (1989) starring Vijayakanth. 

Having shared screenspace with Vijayakanth, Sathyaraj, Mohan, Rajinikanth, Ajith, and Vijay, some of the veteran actor's most noted acting works include Ghajini, Abhiyum Naanum, Thupakki, etc. 

 Manobala, who was last seen in Ghosty and Kondraal Paavam is survived by his wife and son.