Manoj Bharathiraaja (R) with Bharathiraaja
Credit: X/@talkies_writeup
Chennai: Manoj Bharathiraaja, Tamil actor and son of veteran filmmaker Bharathiraaja, passed away here on Tuesday following a cardiac arrest. He was 48 and is survived by his parents, wife Nandana, also an actor, and their two daughters.
Manoj, who made his debut in Taj Mahal in 1999 known for its evergreen songs for which music was scored by A R Rahman, had undergone a by-pass surgery recently and was recuperating at his residence in upscale Chetpet here. However, he suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday evening.
The actor has had a rollercoaster ride in his brush with cinema with many of his movies tanking at the box office. However, the movies that Manoj was featured along with top heroes like Sarath Kumar did do well commercially.
It was only in 2023, Manoj donned the hat of a filmmaker by directing a film with father Bharathiraja along with others in Margazhi Thingal. He was last seen in Snakes & Ladders, a Prime video series.
Bharathiraaja is a veteran Tamil film maker who took the cinema industry to the hinterland of Tamil Nadu from swanky studios.