Popular actor and director Manobala passed away on 03.05.2023 due to ill health and his death has left the film fraternity deeply saddened. Right from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, various political leaders like Vijayakanth,EPS, Seeman and film industry colleagues Bharathiraja, Ilayaraja, Vairamuthu, Rajini, Karthi, Jayam Ravi and Kamal expressed their condolences through social media.

Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi were among those who visited Manobala's house and paid their last respects. Hundreds of celebrities and thousands of public joined the funeral procession the next day. The affable actor is survived by his wife Usha and son Harish.

Manobala was running the Manobala's Waste Paper channel on YouTube and his son Harish posted a video of his final moments. In the video the 69 year old is seen very weak and fragile and is unable even to move or speak. To cheer him up his family ask him to sing a few lines of his favorite song and they will complete it. Even in that dark moment Manobala known for his quick wit and humor asks for the song "Kuyilai Puduchi Koondil adachi" (The world expects a songbird to sing when he is caged and his legs are broken).

Harish then sings the rest of the lines of the song as another relative feeds a semil solid food. Netizens have expressed on social media that they cannot control tears watching the viral video.