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'Gol Maal' And 'Ladies Tailor' Actor Manju Singh Passes Away Due To Cardiac Arrest

Veteran television presenter and actor Manju Singh breathed her last on Thursday. Lyricist and screenwriter Swanand Kirkire confirmed the news on Twitter.

Veteran television presenter and actor Manju Singh breathed her last at the age of 74 on Thursday, April 14, due to cardiac arrest. The shocking news of the demise was confirmed by ace lyricist, singer, and screenwriter Swanand Kirkire on Twitter. Ranked among the pioneers of the TV industry since its fledgling days in the early 1980s, Manju started with what was the first sponsored programme on the small screen, Show Theme.

Swanand who has worked with the late star in Doordarshan, reminisced the old working days in his heartfelt post while mourning the tragic loss. Swanand shared how Singh was the one who brought him to the city of dreams and gave him his first writing opportunity.

While expressing his grief, Swanand shared a picture of Manju and wrote, “Manju Ji is no more. She brought me from Delhi to Mumbai to write her show Swaraj for Doordarshan!”

A look at Manju Singh's career

Manju started her career as a television producer in 1983 with Show Time. Her show Ek Kahani was based on literary short stories from several regional languages. Another show which was quite liked by the audiences across the nation was her docu-drama series Adhikar, which was based on women’s legal rights. 

From remarkable shows like Swaraj, Ek Kahani, and Show Time among others, Manju had gained fame over the years. Fondly called ‘didi’, she was the anchor of the children’s show, Khel Khilone which ran for seven years. Singh had also appeared in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Gol Maal, where she played the role of Ratna.

Apart from Gol Maal, she has acted in other films as well including and Hanky Panky, Ladies Tailor, Screen Two, sliding into character roles with ease from sister to granny.

Apart from doing various shows, the late actor was also a supporter of good and quality content. Hence to carry forward the thought, in 2007, she founded the WorldKids Foundation with the motto of 'Entertainment With a Purpose' which organises global children's film festivals and reaches educational films to classrooms.