Manobala funeral: Thalapathy Vijay pays last respects to Leo co-star

Actor-director Manobala passed away aged 69 in Chennai on Wednesday following an illness. At his funeral, Thalapathy Vijay, who worked with Manobala in movies like Theri, Thuppaki, Nanban, Thalaivaa and many more, paid his last respects to the deceased. Photos and videos from Manobala's funeral in the city were shared online.    

Vijay offered flowers to Manobala's mortal remains. He also met Manobala's family members and offered his condolences. Apart from videos of Vijay's visit to Manobala's funeral, their throwback pictures from the sets have gone viral on social media. The late Tamil actor-director will also feature posthumously in Vijay's upcoming film Leo, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. 

Thalapathy @actorvijay paid his last respect to @manobalam sir 💔🙏🏻#Manobala #RIPManobala pic.twitter.com/LQaIJiFK2F

— ᴊᴇʀᴏᴍᴇ (@JudeJerome_Offl) May 3, 2023   

#ThalapathyVijay on his way to pay his last respects to #Manobala pic.twitter.com/4U4FReCxKW

— Sreedhar Pillai (@sri50) May 3, 2023

Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan remember Manobala  

Manobala's death was mourned by Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and his other co-stars and collaborators. In a tweet, Rajinikanth expressed grief over the death of his "dear friend" and extended his sympathies with the family of the deceased. "Shocking & it's unbelievable such a sweet person & a good friend #Manobala sir passed away." He wrote the condolence message in Tamil. 

பிரபல இயக்குநரும், நடிகருமான, அருமை நண்பர் மனோபாலாவுடைய இறப்பு எனக்கு மிகவும் வேதனை அளிக்கிறது. அவருடைய குடும்பத்தினருக்கு என்னுடைய அனுதாபங்கள். அவரது ஆத்மா சாந்தியடையட்டும்.@manobalam

— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) May 3, 2023

Haasan wrote, "The news of the passing away of a good friend who was a director, actor and producer, Manobala is a great sadness. His primary identity was that of an enthusiast of cinema. My condolences to his bereaved family, friends and fans (sic)." Radikaa Sarathkumar, Manoj Manchu, Gautam Karthik, film producer Dr Dhananjayan and other regional celebrities also remembered him and the fond memories he left behind.

இயக்குனர், நடிகர், தயாரிப்பாளர் என பன்முகம் கொண்ட இனிய நண்பர் மனோபாலா மறைந்த செய்தி பெரும் துயரத்தை அளிக்கிறது. சினிமாவின் ஆர்வலர் என்பதே அவரது முதன்மையான அடையாளமாக இருந்தது. அவரை இழந்து வாடும் குடும்பத்தாருக்கும், நண்பர்களுக்கும், அவரது ரசிகர்களுக்கும் எனது ஆறுதலைத்…

— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 3, 2023

About Manobala 

Manobala (69) started off his career as a director, making movies with top stars including Rajinikanth, Vijayakanth and Sathyaraj. He had of late ventured into acting, largely confining himself to comic roles and featured in a number of movies with top actors including Vijay and Dhanush. He has also produced a couple of films. The actor started his career in the Tamil film industry in the late 1970s.