Manilal was born in Bankura and was taught to play sitar at the age of 5 by his father, the late Sangeetcharya Shri Gokul Nag. He made his first public appearance in the All India Music Conference of 1953, accompanied by Pt Samta Prasad on tabla. For the last six decades, he has been performing in "Akashvani " as well as "Doordarshan" and innumerable times in National Programme of Music & Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan since 1954. Manilal has trained 1000 students in his career and was attached to the Instrumental Music Division of ITC Sangeet Research Academy from 2005 to 2011.