At times he did feel that he was not given his due in the Malayalam film industry. Mani was a very popular man in his home town Chalakudy and went out of his way to help the poor and needy. One more of My Malayalee brothers dying of cirrhosis. Mani has played some notable characters in big Tamil films like Anniyan and RajinikanthвЂ™s Enthiran and the recent Kamal Haasan starrer Papanasam. As a stage performer he was an all rounder who could do a one-man show on stage.

Mani was also a popular singer who specialised in ' Nadan Pattu' (local folk songs) and an Ayappa devotee, who made religious songs, which had record sales during Sabarimala season. Mani later did a small role in Aksharam (1995), which never released, but got a big break playing a toddy tapper in Sallapam, which was written by a close friend and neighbour Lohitadas, who later became a top writer and director.В Mani won the special jury award at the 2000 National film awards for his role as a visually challenged person in Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum. He used to mimic then popular Malayalam actors and caught the attention of Siddique (later went on to become a hit director in Malayalam, also directed Salman KhanвЂ™s Bodyguard) who was at that time a student of Kalabhavan a mimicry group. Mani was born in a very poor family, and started life as a autorikshaw driver. Mani (45) was a popular actor who has done hero and character roles in nearly 200 Malayalam films.

Kalabhavan mani and family