Manikka Vinayagam

Manikka Vinayagam (10 December 1943 – 26 December 2021) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He sang for predominantly Tamilfilms and acted in several films as a character artist. He was the son of the dancer Vazhuvoor B. Ramiah Pillai. His uncle and music guru was the singer C. S. Jayaraman.

Biography Vinayagam was born on 10 December 1943 in Mayiladuthurai in the then Madras Presidency. His father Vazhuvoor B. Ramiah Pillai was a Bharatanatyam dancer while his uncle C. S. Jayaraman was a singer, music director, and actor in the Tamil film industry. He was introduced to Carnatic and Hindustani music by his uncle. He picked up the Nadaswaram, a wind instrument, in his youth.

Vinayagam debuted as a playback singer in the Tamil film Dhill, with the song "Kannukkulla Gelathi" composed by Vidyasagar. His debut in acting was for Thiruda Thirudi playing the father character to Dhanush. Since then, he has sung close to 800 songs in various languages. Apart from these, he has sung close to 15000 devotional folk, love and Carnatic music songs. Vinayagam also had an orchestra Starlings, which consisted of musicians and singers who were children of other actors.

Vinayagam died from a cardiac arrest at his home in Chennai, on 26 December 2021, at the age of 78.

Selected discography Films Source(s): YearSongFilmMusic directorCo-singer(s)Notes2001"Kannukkulle" Dhill Vidyasagar "Yelai Imayamalai" Thavasi 2002"Vidai Kodu" Kannathil Muthamittal A. R. RahmanM. S. Viswanathan, Balram"Dhaya Nee"DhayaBharadwajBharadwaj"Pombalainga Kadhal"Unnai NinaithuSirpyP. Unnikrishnan "Theradi Veethiyil" RunVidyasagarKarthik"Thala Keezha"GeminiBharadwaj "Subbamma Subbamma" Roja KoottamMalgudi Subha2003"Vandi Vandi" JayamR. P. PatnaikTippu"Kadhal Vandhal" Iyarkai VidyasagarTippu"Ayurveda Azhagi" Thiruda Thirudi DhinaSrilekha Parthasarathy"Koduva Meesai" Dhool VidyasagarVidhu Prabhakar"Chinnaveeda" Ottran Praveen ManiSrilekha Parthasarathy"Theeratha Dum" Parthiban KanavuVidyasagarTippu2004"Markandeya" New A. R. RahmanNithyashree "Punnakunnu" Arul Harris JayarajTippu"Arjunar Villu"GhilliVidyasagarSukhwinder Singh"Pattu Pattu" Shankar Dada M.B.B.S. Devi Sri PrasadSumangaliTelugu song2005"Kokku Para Para" Chandramukhi VidyasagarTippu"Kattu Kattu" Thirupaachi Devi Sri PrasadSumangaliRemake of "Pattu Pattu""Thaai Sollum" Kana Kandaen Vidyasagar "Hey Pangali"Majaa Udit Narayan, Tippu"Mast Kudure"Sakha SakhiSadhu KokilaSunitha 2006"Mannargudi Kalakalakka" SivappathigaramVidyasagarRajalakshmi, Chinnaponnu"Allave Yengalin Thaai Bhoomi" Aran Joshua SridharSajid Farth "Ennamma Devi" Thambi VidyasagarKarthik, Balesh"Chethavadam" Veyil G. V. Prakash Kumar"Aiyyyayyyo" Paruthiveeran Yuvan Shankar RajaKrishnaraj, Shreya Ghoshal, Yuvan Shankar Raja2007"Vaa Mahaney Vaa" Onbadhu Roobai Nottu Bharadwaj"Jigu Jickan" Oram Po G. V. Prakash Kumar2008"Veeramulla" Kaalai "America Endralum" Santhosh Subramaniam Devi Sri PrasadNaveen, Premgi Amaren, Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Priya Himesh"Kamannanavare"Kaamannana MakkaluVidyasagarTippuKannada song; remake of "Hey Pangali""Namma Ooru Nallarukku" Seval G. V. Prakash KumarTippu, Anuradha Sriram, Mahathi, Shreya Ghoshal, Prashanthini2009"24 Caret Bangara"Rajkumari V. HarikrishnaShamitha MalnadKannada songs"Jaajiya Malledindu"Chellidaru SampegiyaS. NarayanChethan Sosca, Shamitha Malnad2010"Theakku Maramaattam" Magizhchi Vidyasagar"Naane Inthiran" Singam Devi Sri Prasad"Antharathil Aadum" Thoppul Kodi Film unreleased2011"Aaduvome Pallu Paaduvome" Sadhurangam Vidyasagar 2012"Ashada Kaledaithe"ParieVeer SamarthB. K. Sumitra, Mysore Janni, SamanvithaKannada song"Thara Thiruguva Bhoomi"Gandhi SmilesMysore JanniKannada song; credited as Manikyam2014"Vettaiyadu Koottam" Sandiyar Yadhish Mahadev "Ayya Chandruda"Jaihind 2Arjun JanyaTelugu song2015"Virugambakkam Vettu Kili" Pathiladi Thomas Rathnam

Television

Acting filmography Source(s): Dhill (2001) Thiruda Thirudi (2003) Gambeeram (2004) Perazhagan (2004) Donga Dongadi (2004; Telugu) Giri (2004) Arivumani (2004) Bose (2004) Kalvanin Kadhali (2006) Thimiru (2006) Thullal (2007) Puli Varudhu (2007) Santosh Subramaniam (2008) Mathiya Chennai (2009) Thozhi (2009) Vettaikkaran (2009) Bale Pandiya (2010) Va Quarter Cutting (2010) Yuddham Sei (2011) Aadu Puli (2011) Singam Puli (2011) Avargalum Ivargalum (2011) Enbathettu (2017)