Manivannan

Manivannan (31 July 1954 – 15 June 2013) was an Indian film actor, director, and writer, primarily active in Tamil cinema.

He was born in Sulur, a small town in the Coimbatore District of Madras State (now Tamil Nadu), India, and passed away at age 58–59 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, due to a cardiac arrest.

Throughout his 33-year career spanning from the early 1980s until his death, Manivannan directed exactly 50 films and acted in over 400 movies, making him one of the most experienced actors in Tamil cinema.

Full Name	Manivannan
Other Name(s)	S.S. Manivannan
Occupation	Actor/Film Director/Screenwriter/Voice Artist/Playback Singer/Social Activist
Date of Birth	31-July-1954 (58 years)
Birth Location	Sulur, Madras State (now Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India
Gender	Male
Nationality	India
Religion	Hindu
Zodiac Sign	Leo
Death Time	15-June-2013
Death Location	Nesapakkam, Tamil Nadu, India
Height	169 cm
Weight	70 kg
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
School	Sulur Government Boy's High School
College	Government Arts College
Qualification	Graduate
Hobbies	Acting

He began his film industry journey as a story and dialogue writer and directorial assistant to renowned director Bharathiraja for the film Nizhalgal in the early 1980s. Although Nizhalgal was a commercial failure, it achieved cult status and received high praise when screened at international film festivals.

He also wrote the screenplay for Alaigal Ovathillai, the debut film of actors Karthik and Radha, and penned Kamal Haasan's Tik Tik Tik and Kaadhal Oviyam. He made his directorial debut with Gopurangal Saivathillai in 1982 and went on to direct films across various genres, including the highly successful thriller Nooravathu Naal (also spelled Nooravathy Naal).

He directed prominent actors such as Sivaji Ganesan, Mohan, Vijayakanth, Prabhu, Murali, and Sathyaraj. His last directorial, his 50th film, was Nagaraja Cholan MLA, and three of his films were released posthumously.

Although best known to audiences as an actor, he was equally accomplished as a writer and director. He gained widespread recognition and popularity for his roles as a comedian, supporting character artist, and occasional villain in Tamil cinema.

His most notable acting performances included Jallikkattu (1987), Nooravathu Naal (1984), and Pudhu Manithan (1991). He typically played responsible roles, often portraying fathers or senior comedians, and was considered one of the most experienced character actors in the field. He mentored several directors, including Sundar C, R. K. Selvamani, Vikraman, Seeman, and K. Selvabharathiy.

Beyond cinema, he was actively involved in politics and supported several political parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), for which he campaigned during the 2006 assembly elections. He later aligned himself with the Naam Tamilar Katchi, advocating for Tamil Eelam nationalism and Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism.

He hailed from a family with a political background; his father, R. S. Maniam, was a rice merchant and politician, while his mother, Maragatham, contested panchayat elections. He had three sisters named Parimalam, Poongothai, and Manimekalai Boopathy.

Manivannan was married to Sengamalam, and they had two children: a daughter named Jyothi and a son named Raghuvannan. He passed away on 15 June 2013 at his Nesapakkam residence in Chennai shortly after the release of his 50th directorial venture.

His full name was S. S. Manivannan, widely known simply as Manivannan, and he remains a prominent figure in the history of Tamil cinema.