Manikandan (born 1983) is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil language films. He has acted in films including Boys (2003) and Kicha Vayasu 16 (2005). In 2024, he had a career resurgence with Maharaja (2024).
Manikandan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 November 1983[1] |
| Other names | Boys Manikandan |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active |
|
Career
editManikandan, a visual communications graduate who had featured in Kala's dance troupe doing stage shows, was selected by Shankar to feature in his coming-of-age film Boys after impressing in auditions.[2][3] He shot for the film throughout 2002 alongside fellow debutants Siddharth, Genelia D'Souza, Bharath, Nakul and Thaman.[4] The story centerd on six youngsters, conveying a message about the importance of good education and career over distractions, such as romance and sex, and marked a move away from Shankar's usual brand of vigilante films, gaining much publicity prior to release.[5] The film opened to mixed reviews but became successful at the box office, with reviewers noting the ensemble cast as "excellent".[6][7] In the following years, while the other five debut actors have been successful, Manikandan has struggled to receive acclaim and feature in high-profile films.[8]
Notably, director Shankar revealed that Manikandan was edged by Bharath to star in Balaji Sakthivel's Kaadhal (2004), which had won Bharath significant acclaim.[9] Manikandan subsequently received offers to feature as the lead actor in Kadhal FM (2005) and then alongside Simran in Kicha Vayasu 16, but both films were low key releases and fared poorly at the box office.[3][10] He missed opportunities to act in Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010) and Soodhu Kavvum (2013), which catapulted Vijay Sethupathi to stardom.[11] He has since starred in several low-budget films, including Gurusamy and Kaadhal 2014.[12]
Manikandan made his acting comeback in 2023 with Adhik Ravichandran's directorial films Bagheera and Mark Antony. In 2024, he received high praise from film critics for his portrayal of Dhana, one of the villains, in the revenge film Maharaja.
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Boys | Kumar | |
| 2005 | Kadhal FM | Manikandan | |
| Kicha Vayasu 16 | Kicha | ||
| 2006 | Yuga | Rishi | |
| 2010 | Bayam Ariyaan | Pazham | |
| Moscowin Kavery | Moscow's friend | ||
| 2011 | Gurusamy | Subramani | |
| 2014 | Kaadhal 2014 | Kumar | |
| 2023 | Bagheera | Police Officer | |
| Mark Antony | Kumar | ||
| 2024 | Maharaja | Dhana |
References
edit- ^ http://www.nadigarsangam.org/member/k-manikandan-2/ [dead link]
- ^ "Welcome to". Sify. 20 January 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ^ a b ""Boys" Manikandan Interview". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 8 December 2004. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Ravi K Chandran on Boys". Rediff.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Shankar has taken Tamil films to new depths". Rediff.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Boys". The Hindu. 5 September 2003. Archived from the original on 8 December 2003. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Movie Review : Boys". Sify.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "ACTOR NAKUL INTERVIEW". Behindwoods.com. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Striking gold, Shankar style – MADS". The Hindu. 22 December 2006. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ^ "Kadhal FM". Chennai Online. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ "Exclusive! 'Boys' actor Manikandan opens up for the first time about why he failed as an actor". Indiaglitz. 17 August 2021.
- ^ "வில்லனாக மாறிய ஹீரோ [Hero turned as villain]". Dinakaran (in Tamil).
External links
edit- Manikandan at IMDb