Battling Mani
{{Short description|Indian actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2020}}
Battling Mani is an Indian cinema artiste who worked mainly in Tamil films.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/whats-in-a-name/article6578238.ece|title=What's in a name?|last=Ram|first=Mohan V|authorlink=Mohan V. Ram|work=The Hindu|date=8 November 2014|accessdate=21 June 2018|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180516034749/http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/whats-in-a-name/article6578238.ece|archivedate=16 May 2018|url-status=live}}
Career
= Silent films =
During the period of silent films, most of the films were made with stories already known to the people. But they introduced attractive dances and stunt scenes to capture the audience's enthusiasm. There were two stunt artistes working at that time. One was Battling Mani and the other was Stunt Raju.{{Cite web|url=http://makkaldesam.com/page/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B7%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4-%E0%AE%B2/|title=Who is Loose Mohan's Father|language=Tamil|website=makkaldesam.com|accessdate=21 June 2018|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180621050743/http://makkaldesam.com/page/%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B7%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%87%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4-%E0%AE%B2/|archivedate=21 June 2018|url-status=dead}}
=Tamil talkies=
In 1936, the very first action film in Tamil was produced and released. Battling Mani was the obvious choice for the main role that was a daring young man with full of stunt works. He also wrote the story of this film, Madras Mail{{cite book|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1936-cinedetails28.asp|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date=23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20161028053654/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1936-cinedetails28.asp|archivedate=28 October 2016|access-date=21 June 2018|url-status=usurped}} was a huge success.
Miss Sundari was his next film released in 1937. P. S. Sivapackiam paired with him in this film.{{cite book|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1937-cinedetails28.asp|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date=23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180621053240/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1937-cinedetails28.asp|archivedate=21 June 2018|access-date=21 June 2018|url-status=usurped}}
After a few years he featured in the lead role of Thaai Nadu that was released on the day India became an independent nation, 15 August 1947.{{cite book|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1947-cinedetails11.asp|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date=23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180620022304/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1947-cinedetails11.asp|archivedate=20 June 2018|access-date=21 June 2018|url-status=usurped}}
= As director =
In 1938 he directed the one and only film Harijana Singam or Madras CID, a film that had two alternate titles as per the norms of the day. He also featured in the lead role.{{cite book|url=http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1938-cinedetails24.asp|title=Sadhanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thiraipada Varalaru|trans-title=History of Landmark Tamil Films|publisher=Sivakami Publishers|author=Film News Anandan|authorlink=Film News Anandan|date=23 October 2004|location=Chennai|language=Tamil|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180621054346/http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/cineprofiles/1938-cinedetails24.asp|archivedate=21 June 2018|access-date=21 June 2018|url-status=usurped}}
Filmography
{{unreferenced section|date= December 2022}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||||
| style="width:35px;"| Year
! style="width:150px;"| Film ! style="text-align:center; width:80px;"| Language ! style="width:65px;" | Director ! style="width:65px;" | Writer ! style="width:65px;" | Actor ! style="text-align:center; width:250px;" class="unsortable" | Notes | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Madras Mail | rowspan=5|Tamil | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | |
| 1937 | Miss Sundari | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | ||
| 1938 | Harijana Singam or Madras CID | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | ||
| 1947 | Thaai Nadu | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} | ||
| 1951 | Marudhanaattu Ilavarasi | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{n}} | style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} |