Actor-director Manoj Bharathiraja passed away at the age of 48 due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday. Son of veteran filmmaker Bharathiraja, Manoj who was initially supposed to take up his father's mantle as a director, studied theatre arts at the University of South Florida. However, he broke into the film industry as an actor with the 1999 film , directed by Bharathiraja. He also made his debut as a singer in the film, lending his voice to 'Eechi Elemichhi', composed by AR Rahman.

Manoj would realise his directorial dreams thirty years later, with the 2023 film . Although he was introduced to the Tamil audience by playing an eccentric young man in films like  and , he would later pivot to amiable boy-next-door roles in relatable family dramas like (2001) and (2002). Manoj's first stint in the film industry was through assisting Mani Ratnam for (1995), and while he was taking a break from acting, he also assisted Shankar in (2010). He recently expressed remaking his father's (1978) and was last seen in a prominent role in the Prime Video series (2024). According to his friends and colleagues, beyond his love for acting and direction, Manoj's love for cinema and the power of storytelling was perceptible, a common theme in every conversation with him. He is survived by his wife Nandana, and their daughters Arshitha and Mathivadhani.

Shanthnu Bhagyaraj

We have many things in common. Both of our fathers are legendary directors. He has spoken to me a lot about the societal and professional pressure he has faced, and I could relate to them. But beyond all of that, he always wanted to break them through the big dreams he had. Hearing him express his dreams one day and then hearing about his death was shocking. I became broken and was unable to sleep. He even shared details of how he wanted to remake his father's . It was inspiring to see him break all the boundaries he was surrounded by to keep pursuing his aspirations and to see all his dreams go unfulfilled makes me feel disappointed.

Srikanth

My heart goes out to Bharathiraja sir on Manoj's passing. No father should have to endure this. I have fond memories of Manoj when I started acting. I was supposed to be launched by Bharathiraja sir in a project in which Manoj was also working. But that didn't materialise. He was a very sweet and lively person. I was happy to see Manoj directing a movie. I was confident that he would carry on the directing dynasty of Bharathiraja. In this day, a lot of people are getting illnesses at a young age. The age of 48 is not an age at which a person passes away. I hope Bharathiraja sir will be okay.

Thambi Ramaiah

I am deeply saddened by the demise of Manoj. Bharathiraja sir is an inspiration to all of us who hail from the village to join cinema and I couldn't imagine the grief he is experiencing right now. Manoj and many others like him whose parents have established a legacy are under immense pressure to live up to the legacy. I urge every one of you to ask people you know and love if they are alright and doing well, rather than instilling fear about the future, success, savings and investments. I pray and hope God gives strength to Bharathiraja sir to endure this unbearable loss.

Karunakaran

We became close friends after . He was a fun-loving person. He spoke about films a lot, especially about his father and his directorial style. Nobody should go through what Bharathirarja sir is going through, I lost my father a couple of months ago and even I am still overcoming that loss. I understand it must be even more difficult for Bharathiraja sir. I hope he gains the strength to overcome this. I loved that more than acting and directing, Manoj was just passionate about cinema. I will remember him every time I listen to 'Chotta Chotta' and 'Enge Antha Vanilla'.

RV Udhayakumar

I have known him since he was a boy. I was their neighbour. Manoj was a vibrant young man. I even spoke to him on Tuesday morning, and he seemed fine so it was shocking to me. We thought it was a small health issue but none of us expected this to happen. All creative people are soft and sensitive, Bharathiraja sir might look tough but he is a soft-hearted so I hope he finds the strength to handle this loss. I will always remember Manoj as a loveable guy who had an amazing family and a very good friend circle.