Mansoor Ali Khan (actor)

Mansoor Ali Khan has often played in antagonist roles and a few lead roles. He got a breakthrough role as an antagonist in Tamil cinema industry by the R.K. Selvamani directorial Captain Prabhakaran (1991) which became a blockbuster, hence fetching him a lot of acting opportunities. He did his acting course in Anupam Kher's acting school in Mumbai.[2]

In his early career, Mansoor Ali Khan tried his hand at politics by supporting the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). At the 1999 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu, he contested from Periyakulam as a candidate of the Puthiya Tamilagam (PT), he secured about one lakh votes and finished at the third position.[3][4] At the 2009 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu, he stood as an independent candidate and the opposition pressed criminal charges against him for moving around in a vehicle with a propaganda banner breaching the moral conduct code.[5][6] At the 2019 Indian general election in Tamil Nadu, he contested from Dindigul as a candidate of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).[7]

Khan was arrested in July 1998 for causing a roadblock and obstructing traffic while protesting against the pirate showings of his film Vettu Onnu Thundu Rendu (1998) on cable television. His activity led to film distributor Chinthamani Murugesan releasing a press statement condemning the television's actions and prompted a shut down of cinema halls across Pondicherry for one day.[8]

Khan was convicted on the charge of rape and awarded him seven years of imprisonment on 27 March 2001 by session court. Later, on 2012, the Madras High court found the women had made false accusations against him and ordered the woman to pay Rs 50 lakh as damages to the actor for malicious prosecution and defamation.[9][10]

Khan was also later arrested in January 2012 on land grabbing charges after it was alleged that he had illegally constructed a 16-storeyed property in Arumbakkam.[11][12]

Khan was arrested on 17 June 2018, along with environmentalist Piyush Manush, while protesting the proposed 270-kilometre superhighway connecting Salem and Chennai.[13]