Mansoor Ali Khan is an Indian actor, music composer, writer, producer, and politician. He is known for playing antagonistic and supporting roles in Tamil films like Captain Prabhakaran (1991), Chembaruthi (1992), and Natpukkaga (1998). He also works in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films.
Wiki/Biography
Mansoor Ali Khan Rowther was born on Wednesday, 22 February 1961 (age 62 years; as of 2023) in Oddanchatram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. His zodiac sign is Pisces. He is a 9th pass from Pallapatti Higher Secondary School in Karur, Tamil Nadu (1976). He pursued training in acting at Actors Workshop, an institute headed by Anil Chowdhury. At the institute, he received training from various prominent actors like Anupam Kher. Thereafter, he moved to Chennai. He struggled for nine years before he got a break in Velai Kidaichuduchu (1990).
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
He belongs to a Muslim family. His father’s name is Meesaikaara Abdul Salam Rowther, and his mother’s name is Sagorammal. His brother, Saahul Hameed, passed away in 2018.
Mansoor Ali Khan’s brother Saahul Hameed
Wife & Children
Mansoor Ali Khan has three wives. His wife Abitha Banu is a homemaker. Mansoor and Abitha’s son Ali Khan Thugluck is an actor who made his acting debut with the Tamil film Kadamaan Paarai (2018).
Mansoor Ali Khan with son, Ali Khan Thugluck
Mansoor Ali Khan’s daughter got married in 2014.
Mansoor Ali Khan with one of his wives and his daughter on her wedding day
In 2018, it was reported that his second and third wives had a family dispute. His second wife’s name is Baby alias Hamida (or Hameeda). Mansoor has two children with her, a daughter named Laila Ali Khan, and a son named Meeran Ali Khan. Mansoor’s third wife’s name is Waheeda. She is Mansoor Ali Khan’s sister’s daughter. Allegedly, the second wife’s children beat the third wife and broke her nose. A case was registered at the Nungambakkam police station.
Mansoor Ali Khan’s third wife, Waheeda, bleeding after a family dispute in 2018
Address
His address is Puram 4th Street, Arumbakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 600106.
Signature/Autograph
Mansoor Ali Khan’s signature
Career
Film
Tamil
In 1990, he made his Tamil debut with the crime action film Velai Kidaichuduchu in which he played the role of Maari.
Poster of Tamil film Velai Kidaichuduchu (1990)
In 1991, he came into the limelight with the action film Captain Prabhakaran in which played the antagonist Veerabhadran, a sandalwood smuggler around the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. The blockbuster film fetched him a lot of acting opportunities.
Mansoor Ali Khan as Veerabhadran in Captain Prabhakaran (1991)
He gained popularity for adding sarcastic humour to his villain roles. In 1992, he appeared in another hit film Chembaruthi in which he played the role of a fisherman named Kumar. He played the role of Vedhachalam in the romantic comedy film Minsara Kanna (1999). In the film, Vedhachalam is the business rival of the protagonist Indira Devi. In 2015, he played the role of Mansoor, a politician and Killi’s enemy, in the romantic action comedy film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.
Mansoor Ali Khan in Thalattu (1993)
Other notable Tamil films under his belt include Asuran (1995), Natpukkaga (1998), Raajjiyam (2002), Neranja Manasu (2004), Kanthaswamy (2009), Thillalangadi (2010), Singam 2 (2013), and Bruce Lee (2017). Out of 140+ films in which he starred, 10 were silver jubilee hits and 20 that ran for 100 days. In 2023, he played the role of Hridayaraj D’Souza in the action thriller film Leo, starring Vijay in the titular role.
Malayalam
He had an uncredited role in the romantic drama film Shubhayathra (1990). Khan made his Malayalam debut with the drama film Ponnuchami (1993) in which he played the role of Ratnam.
Poster of Malayalam film Ponnuchami (1993)
Other Malayalam films in which he appeared include Sukham Sukhakaram (1994), Hijack (1995), Kinnam Katta Kallan (1996), Man of the Match (1996), Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (2000), and Soothradharan (2001).
Telugu
In 1993, he made his Telugu debut with Vaasthavam.
Mansoor Ali Khan in Vaasthavam (1993)
In the same year, he appeared in the action drama film Mutha Mestri in which he played the role of an inspector. It was dubbed into Tamil as Manbhumigu Maistri. Other Telugu films in which he starred include Samba (2004) and Naayudamma (2006).
Kannada
In 1996, he made his Kannada debut with the film Boss.
Mansoor Ali Khan in Boss (1996)
Later, he appeared in various Kannada films like Yuva Shakthi (1997), Lady Commissioner (1997), Diggajaru (2001), and Masti (2007).
Production, Direction, Music Composition
He runs a production house, Raj Kennedy Films. The first film he produced under this banner was the Tamil action film Rajadhi Raja Raja Kulothunga Raja Marthanda Raja Gambeera Kathavaraya Krishna Kamarajan (1993).
Poster of Tamil film Rajadhi Raja Raja Kulothunga Raja Marthanda Raja Gambeera Kathavaraya Krishna Kamarajan (1993)
He was also the music director of the film and lent his voice to the song “Mama Mama.” Other films in which he worked as a music director include Vaazhga Jananayagam (1995), Lollu Dhadha Parak Parak (2013), and Athiradi (2015).
He has produced numerous films under the Raj Kennedy Films banner including Ravanan (1994) Ennai Paar Yogam Varum (2007) Athiradi (2015), and Sarakku (2023). Other Tamil songs which he voiced include “Kodambakkam” from Vaazhga Jananayagam (1996), “Wrong Route” from Rajali (1996), and “Koyambedu” from Ennai Paar Yogam Varum (2007).
Politics
He contested the 1999 general election from Periyakulam Lok Sabha constituency on a party ticket from the Puthiya Tamilagam (PT) party. He secured around one lakh votes and finished third. He contested and lost the 2009 general election as an independent candidate from the Tiruchirappalli Lok Sabha constituency. He contested and lost the Alandur seat in the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election as a candidate of Makkal Manadu Katchi party. He lost the 2019 general election in Tamil Nadu as a candidate of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) from the Dindigul Lok Sabha constituency.
Mansoor Ali Khan with Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) leader Seeman
In February 2021, he quit NTK and formed his own political party ‘Tamil Desiya Puligal’. He contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections as an independent candidate from Thondamuthur constituency in Coimbatore. He caught media attention for sitting near a garbage bin and petting a street dog to campaign for votes. When people walked by, he talked to them about what issues they had in the area. He wrote down the problems and where they lived in his notebook and said he would try to fix these problems if he got elected as the MLA from the locality. However, he lost the elections.
Mansoor Ali Khan sitting near a garbage bin and petting a street dog to campaign for votes ahead of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections
Controversies
Arrested For Protests
In August 1998, Khan was arrested for causing a roadblock while protesting against the pirate showings of his film Vettu Onnu Thundu Rendu in Pondicherry. Thereafter, the distributor Chinthamani Murugesan released a press statement, condemning video piracy. Accepting his request the theatre owners closed down theatres for one day in Pondicherry. In December 1998, Khan, along with his wife and children, was arrested for staging a hunger strike to demand the release of Muslim youngsters from jail. However, they were released later in the evening. Later, in the same month, there was a protest against the Central Government’s economic policies, and the Tamil Nadu Government, along with various political parties, called for a ‘bandh’ in the state. On that day, Mansoor Ali Khan attempted to protest in a unique way by playing cricket in front of the Governor’s residence. However, he was arrested and sent to jail for his actions.
Convicted in False Rape Charges
On 11 December 1998, a woman Sneha Sharma accused Khan of rape following which he was arrested. Sneha claimed that the alleged incident happened in November 1996. She approached the actor after he put up an advertisement for a secretary. She said that Khan took her to a hotel in his car and offered her juice laced with sedatives following which he raped her repeatedly and threatened her not to reveal it to anyone. In May 1998, she gave birth to a girl. On the basis of Sneha’s testimony, the trial court found Khan guilty of sexual harassment and convicted him on 27 March 2001. The court gave him seven years’ rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of 3 lakh on him. However, the Madras High Court set aside his prison term but asked him to pay 3.25 lakh to Sneha and 7 lakh to the child. He appealed against the ruling but it was dismissed by the Supreme Court in February 2008. In his petition in the HC, Khan stated that he had discovered a matrimonial case initiated by Sneha, seeking to reunite with her husband. Khan pointed out that during the examination in the trial court, Sneha had claimed that she lost her virginity to Khan. She had said that it was the first time she had had intercourse, albeit by force. He revealed that she got married in August 1994 and accused her of providing false information to the court. He said Sneha had approached him for help, and he had extended financial assistance to her as he was mandated to do charity as per the Mohammedan Law. Khan said that she accused him of rape as she feared he would stop helping her. Calling it fraud, the Madras High Court awarded 50 lakh in compensation to Khan towards loss of reputation and film career in 2012.
Booked for Displaying a Propaganda Banner
In 2009, the Cantonment Police in Tiruchi registered a case against Mansoor Ali Khan, who was contesting the Tiruchi Parliamentary Constituency as an independent candidate. Police said the case was registered because the actor’s campaign vehicle displayed a propaganda banner, showing the bodies of Sri Lankan Tamils killed in the island nation. The case was filed under the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act of 1959. Apparently, such a depiction was against the model code of conduct. The banner was later removed.
Land Grab Charges
In 2012, Chennai Police arrested Khan on charges of grabbing land worth Rs 1 crore near Koyambedu belonging to a private firm employee named V Duraivelu. Khan was picked up from his bungalow on Nungambakkam High Road. The police said that Khan encroached upon a 1,247 sq ft plot of land owned by Duraivelu around 16-17 years ago and illegally constructed a 16-storeyed property on it. Duraivelu claimed that he had purchased the land for Rs 2.60 lakh in 1994 from a man named Ramakrishnan. In 2005, Duraivelu met Khan who promised to buy the plot of land from him formally for Rs 3.75 lakh and gave Duraivelu Rs 75,000 as an advance. Although Duraivelu first refused to accept it saying it was far below the market price, later he agreed after a few hooligans threatened him. Then, he tried to meet the actor to get the amount that was due to him but was reportedly chased away by Khan’s goons. Subsequently, Mansur Ali Khan moved into the bungalow in Nungambakkam, which is located close to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Board office.
Arrested for Protesting Before a Hall Where Cauvery Protesters Were Detained
In April 2018, Chennai police arrested Khan and 17 others for protesting against the police preventing him from entering a marriage hall in Pallavaram, where Cauvery protesters, including NTK Seeman, director Vetri Maran and others, were detained.
Arrested for Remarks On Chennai-Salem Highway
In June 2018, Khan was arrested by the Salem police in Chennai for his remarks against the proposed Chennai-Salem expressway. Speaking to reporters after visiting the area, Khan threatened to “kill eight people and go to jail if the government goes ahead with the proposed eight-lane project.” He said,
If Salem gets an airport, 8-lane highway etc, people can’t live in Salem. If the 8-lane road comes, then many trees and hills will be destroyed. It will affect the livelihood of the people who live here. Hence, the state and the central government must not implement it. Moreover, if there are protests against the highway, I will definitely participate. If the eight-lane project is implemented, then I will kill eight people and go to jail.”
He was arrested by the Salem police from his house in Choolaimedu in Chennai. While he was lodged in the Salem Central Prison, he observed a day-long fast to protest against the project after a court in Omalur rejected his bail plea.
Mansoor Ali Khan during his arrest in 2018
Arrested Over Remarks Against PM, CM
In August 2019, Khan was detained for his derogatory remarks against on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and TN Chief Minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami on a Tamil television show. A picture of Hindu Makkal Munnani Katchi named V. G. Narayanan booked the latter under sections 153 (B) (a)(b), 505(1)(b) and 505 (1) (c) of the IPC.
Booked For Spreading Rumours About Covid Vaccination
In April 2021, Khan made headlines in a viral video when he claimed that there was no clarity on the ingredients used for the COVID-19 vaccine and blamed the Health Secretary for misleading people. He made the alleged remarks addressing the media outside the SIMS hospital in Vadapalani where actor Vivekh was admitted. Khan alleged that Vivek had suffered a heart attack only because of the COVID-19 vaccine he took on 15 April 2021. Subsequently, based on a complaint filed by a health officer of the Chennai Corporation, the Vadapalani police registered an FIR under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 505 (1)(b) (intent to cause fear to the public) of the IPC besides invoking provisions of the Epidemics Act and the Disaster Management Act. Consequently, the Madras High Court ordered actor Khan to pay Rs 2 lakh to the Tamil Nadu health secretary to purchase Covishield as a condition for bail.
Assets & Properties
Movable Assets
- Cash: Rs 50,000
- Deposits in Banks: Rs 12,809
- Motor Vehicles: Rs 25,28,026
Immovable Assets
- Agricultural Land: Rs 1,60,00,000
Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the financial year 2021. It does not include assets owned by his spouse and dependents.
Net Worth
His net worth was Rs 1,75,73,003 in 2021. It does not include the net worth of his wife and dependents.
Facts/Trivia
- He received the MGR Sivaji Academy Awards in 2018.
Mansoor Ali Khan receiving MGR Sivaji Academy Awards (2018)
- In 2018, he filed a public interest litigation seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission to permit him to test the Electronic Voting Machines to demonstrate that tampering is taking place in the voting process using EVMs. However, the Madras High Court dismissed it.
- On 10 May 2021, Khan was hospitalised in Chennai for kidney stones.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education