Tamil film director M. Manikandan shot to the limelight in his debut film, Kaaka Muttai (2014), which won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film. He then went on to direct critically-acclaimed films like the Vidharth-starrer Kuttrame Thandanai (2016) and Aandavan Kattalai (2016) with Vijay Sethupathi and Ritika Singh, following which his fourth directorial Kadaisi Vivasayi (2022) earned him national laurels once again. Having won the Best Feature Film In Tamil for Kadaisi Vivasayi in 2023, it came as a shock when Manikandan's house had been robbed earlier this month.
Manikandan, hailing from Usilampatti, has been residing in Chennai for the last two months with his family as he's working on his next film. According to reports, unidentified individuals had broken into house in Usilampatti on February 8 and stolen the National Award medal awarded to him for Kadaisi Vivasayi, including Rs 1 lakh in cash and five sovereigns of gold. A case was lodged by the local police and a probe was subsequently was launched by officials. That being said, a cover with the National Award medal was found at hanging on the gate of Manikandan's house along with a handwritten note in the wee hours of Tuesday, February 13. In their note, the burglars apologized to the filmmaker stating that they have returned the fruits of his labor, which he won for Kadaisi Vivasayi, with the authorities then conducting an investigation.
இயக்குநர் மணிகண்டன் வீட்டில் திருடுபோன தேசிய விருதுகளை மீண்டும் வைத்துவிட்டு, மன்னிப்பு கடிதம் வைத்துச் சென்ற கும்பல் 😲
இது குறித்து உங்கள் கருத்து என்ன ?🙂#Manikandan #KadaisiVivasayi #Galatta pic.twitter.com/7t6hr1dv3M— Galatta Media (@galattadotcom) February 13, 2024
This incident is now creating a big buzz as fans recently celebrated the second anniversary of Kadaisi Vivasayi on February 11 on social media with wishes to Manikandan and actor Vijay Sethupathi, who played a pivotal role. The rural drama film, which portrayed the struggles of an elderly farmer fighting for his land and his freedom after his false arrest, garnered massive critical acclaim and won the Best Film honor, including a Special Mention for its lead actor, the late Nallandi, at the 69th National Film Awards.
