{{Short description|Indian actor}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}} {{infobox person |name=Ceylon Manohar |birth_name=Anthony Pillai Emmanuel Manoharan |birth_place= |death_date={{death date and age|2018|1|22|1944}} |occupation=playback singer, actor |death_place=Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India }} '''Ceylon Manohar''' ({{langx|ta| சிலோன் மனோகர்}}) ({{c.|1944|lk=yes}} – 22 January 2018), popular name of '''A. E. Manoharan''' (Anthony Pillai Emmanuel Manoharan) also known as '''Surangani Manohar''' ({{langx|ta|சுராங்கனி மனோகர் }}), was a pop singer and actor. He has played roles in Tamil films and other Sri Lankan Tamil works.<ref name="asiantribune">{{Cite news|url=http://www.asiantribune.com/node/91509|title=A.E. Manoharan - Sri Lankan pop singer passed away|date=23 January 2018|work=Asian Tribune}}</ref>
== Career == He is majorly known for the song "Surangani", which attained cult status in the 1970s and 1980s in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/261|title=Sri Lankan Pop Music Maestro A.E. Manoharan|date=7 April 2006|work=Tamil Week|accessdate=23 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223044649/http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/261|archive-date=23 February 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jointscene.com/kollywood-actors/surangani_manohar/filmography.html|title=Surangani Manohar filmography|work=Jointscene|accessdate=23 April 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310195929/http://www.jointscene.com/kollywood-actors/surangani_manohar/filmography.html|archivedate=10 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/musicreview/7511.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051130044920/http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/musicreview/7511.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 November 2005|title=Idhaya Thirudan movie review|date=5 January 2006|work=India Glitz|accessdate=23 April 2010}}</ref>
Although he is best remembered as a singer, Manohar had his sights set on acting from a very young age. He began acting in plays when he was a student at St John's College in Jaffna in the 1960s. Like many Sri Lankans of his era, Manohar came to India to pursue his higher studies. While he was a BA student in Trichy, he would go regularly to what was then Madras to try and get a role in a film. At that time all he could manage was a minor role in Maanavan, a 1970 film produced by M M A Chinnappa Thevar.
Manohar moved back to Sri Lanka, where he first worked as a teacher and then decided to become a full-time singer. Sri Lankan music was undergoing a major transformation in the early 1970s when Manohar began performing regularly at major venues in the country. He was one of the pioneers of the country's new pop movement, where he combined Baila with elements of contemporary music. He sang with equal ease in Tamil, Sinhala and English.
His rendition of Surangani was made popular across the island by Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (formerly Radio Ceylon), which in the 1970s had a loyal fan base in India. As soon as the song became popular in India, Manohar started making regular trips to Madras, and the roles in films came in slowly. Manohar got small roles in films including those that starred Sivaji Ganesan. He would go on to act in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam films, mostly playing the role of a villain. With his long curly hair, moustache and overweight frame, he fit the role of a ‘bad guy’ well at that time.
When he was living in Colombo, the Black July anti-Tamil riots hit the Sri Lankan capital and spread across the island. Manohar moved to India for a while and later shifted base to London, where he worked for the BBC's Tamil service. It would take two and a half decades for Manohar to act in a Malayalam film again, settling for a minor role in the Mammootty film ''Thuruppugulan''.
== Personal life == He was Sri Lankan Tamil from his father's side and Indian Tamil from his mother's side.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/his-surangani-ferried-baila-tunes-from-lankan-shores/articleshow/62795609.cms |title=His Surangani ferried Baila tunes from Lankan shores |last=Vamanan |author-link=Vamanan |date=6 February 2018 |newspaper=The Times of India |access-date=10 February 2018}}</ref> He made Chennai his permanent home and lived there after he stopped acting. His last few years were spent in and out of hospital and he had to undergo dialysis. Manohar died in the suburbs of Chennai at the age of 73{{endash}}74 in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |title='Surangani' singer Ceylon Manohar passes away |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/surangani-singer-ceylon-manohar-passes-away-75205 |publisher=The News Minute |date=23 January 2018 |accessdate=25 January 2018}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Telugu === {{colbegin}} *1978 ''Mugguru Muggure''<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PB1OEIuFSk |title=MUGGURU MUGGURE {{!}} TELUGU FULL MOVIE {{!}} KRISHNA {{!}} MOHAN BABU {{!}} SATYANARAYANA {{!}} JAYACHITRA {{!}} V9 VIDEOS |language=en |access-date=2024-04-02 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> as Peter *1978 ''Lawyer Viswanath'' as Shakha *1978 ''Adavi Manushulu''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adavi Manushulu on Moviebuff.com |url=https://www.moviebuff.com/adavi-manushulu |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Moviebuff.com}}</ref> *1978 ''Sahasavanthudu''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sahasavantudu (1978) |url=https://indiancine.ma/TJN |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> as Roger *1979 ''Seethe Ramudaithe''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Seethe Ramudaithe (1979) |url=https://indiancine.ma/UHA/info |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=IndianCine.ma |language=en}}</ref> as Robert *1979 ''Rangoon Rowdy'' *1979 ''Andadu Aagadu''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Andhadu Aagadu (1979) |url=https://indiancine.ma/AMIP |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> as Ranjith *1979 ''Sri Rama Bantu'' as Jacky *1979 ''Srungara Ramudu'' as Jaipal's henchman *1980 ''Challenge Ramudu'' as Vasthad *1980 ''Mama Allulla Saval'' as Michael *1980 ''Adrushtavanthudu'' as Bully at the bar *1980 ''Aarani Mantalu'' as David *1980 ''Asadhyulaku Asadhyudu''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asadhyulaku Asadhyudu (1980) |url=https://indiancine.ma/BGOJ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> as Yogesh *1981 ''Puli Bidda'' as Manohar *1981 ''Chattaniki Kallu Levu'' as John *1984 ''James Bond 999<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Bond 999 (1984) Telugu Movie Review, Rating - Suman |url=https://www.thecinebay.com/movie/index/id/8852?ed=Tolly |access-date=2023-04-16 |website=www.thecinebay.com}}</ref>'' as Raaka *1984 ''Pralaya Simham'' as Rabandhu Sodharudu *1984 ''Bangaru Kapuram''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bangaru Kapuram (1984) |url=https://indiancine.ma/YKF/info |access-date=2023-06-02 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> *1984 ''Punyam Koddi Purushudu''<ref>{{Citation |title=PUNYAM KODDI PURUSHUDU {{!}} TELUGU FULL MOVIE {{!}} SHOBAN BABU {{!}} JAYASUDHA {{!}} RADHIKA {{!}} V9 VIDEOS | date=25 January 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPg5ozncvdQ |access-date=2024-03-22 |language=en}}</ref> as Shaaka *1984 ''Idhe Naa Savaal'' as Simhachalam *1985 ''Jwala'' as Manohar *1985 ''Mayaladi''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayaladi (1985) |url=https://indiancine.ma/ZZO |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> as Goon in the lift fight *1985 ''Sanchalanam''<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOigA46Ppdo |title=Sanchalanam Movie Scenes - Madhavi Introduction {{!}}{{!}} Mohan Babu {{!}}{{!}} Jayamalini {{!}}{{!}} Poornachandra Rao |language=en |access-date=2024-05-04 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> as Katthula Ratthaiah *1985 ''Punnami Ratri''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Punnami Rathri 1985 Full Movie Online - Watch HD Movies on Airtel Xstream Play |url=https://www.airtelxstream.in/movies/punnami-rathri/HUNGAMA_MOVIE_24001945 |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Airtel Xstream (Airtel TV) |language=en}}</ref> as Ganganna *1986 ''Sakkanodu'' as Charlie *1986 ''Vetagallu''<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg1MK_KjW50 |title=VETAGALLU {{!}} { EXCLUSIVE } TELUGU FULL MOVIE {{!}} BHANUCHANDER {{!}} GIRI BABU {{!}}OORVAASI {{!}} INDIAN MOVIE CAFE |language=en |access-date=2024-04-29 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> as Henchman with a scar *1986 ''Vijrumbhana''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vijrumbana (1986) |url=https://indiancine.ma/BJLE |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=Indiancine.ma}}</ref> as Rambrahmam *1987 ''Khaidi Nagamma''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Khaidi Nagamma movie | website=YouTube |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=8WvXE0K0n4M}}</ref> as Bakasura *1988 ''Ukku Sankellu'' {{colend}}
===Tamil === {{colbegin}} *1966 ''Pasa Nila'' *1978 ''Vaadai Kaatru'' *1978 ''Mangudi Minor'' *1978 ''En Kelvikku Enna Bathil'' as Raja *1978 ''Manitharil Ithanai Nirangala'' *1980 ''Naan Potta Savaal'' *1980 ''Guru'' *1981 ''Thee'' *1981 ''Lorry Driver Rajakannu'' *1981 ''Amara Kaaviyam'' as Diwakar *1982 ''Sangili'' as Mangal Singh *1983 ''Neethibathi'' *1983 ''Kai Varisai'' *2003 ''Jay Jay'' *2005 ''Thotti Jaya'' {{colend}}
===Malayalam === {{colbegin}} *1978 ''Thacholi Ambu'' *1979 ''Aavesham'' *1979 ''Maamaankam'' *1979 ''Kazhukan'' *1980 ''Mr. Michael'' as Manohar *1980 ''Sakthi'' *1981 ''Kolilakkam'' *1981 ''Thadavara'' *1982 ''Padayottam'' *1985 ''Pournami Raavil 3D'' *2006 ''Thuruppugulan'' {{colend}}
===Kannada === *1980 ''Ondu Hennu Aaru Kannu''<ref>{{Citation |title=Ondu Hennu Aaru Kannu {{!}} Full Movie {{!}} Ananth nag {{!}} Shankar nag {{!}} Ambarish {{!}} Family Movie |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8CFzgsUA7Q |access-date=2024-01-15 |language=en}}</ref> as Crocodile *1982 ''Rudri'' *1983 ''Simha Gharjane'' as Manohar *1987 ''Huli Hebbuli''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Huli Hebbuli (1987) Kannada movie: Cast & Crew |url=https://chiloka.com/movie/huli-hebbuli-1987 |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=chiloka.com}}</ref> as Kalinga
===Hindi === *1980 ''Morchha'' as Sharpshooter *1982 ''Main Intaquam Loonga'' as Manohar *1986 ''Dosti Dushmani'' *1988 ''Khatron Ke Khiladi''
=== Sinhala === *1977 ''Maruwa Samaga Wase''
===Serials=== *''Muhurthaam'' * ''Anjali'' *''Athipookal'' * ''Thirumathi Selvam'' (Nandhini's father) ===Singer=== *Kazhuvura Neeril - ''Mangudi Minor'' *Pathala Pathala - ''Virumbugiren'' *Kopithotta Mudhalali - ''Pilot Premnath'' *Yaari Singari - ''Thotti Jaya''
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0543535}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Manoharan, A.E.}} Category:Year of birth missing Category:1940s births Category:2018 deaths Category:Male actors in Malayalam cinema Category:Male actors in Tamil cinema Category:Male actors in Telugu cinema Category:Tamil male actors Category:Tamil-language playback singers Category:Telugu-language playback singers Category:Sri Lankan Tamil musicians Category:Sri Lankan male musicians Category:Singers from Chennai Category:20th-century Indian male singers Category:20th-century Indian singers Category:21st-century Indian male singers