Spotlight: Mani Ratnam and The 25 Film Directed By The Auteur

As his 25th Feature Film Direction in Kaatru Veliyidai (English: Breezy Expanse) plays in Cinemas across the world for an always eager movie audience, Mani Ratnam in an interview to CNN IBN's Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand states that he doesn't think of legacy but just about his next film.

These words are by a film-maker who has been in the film industry for about 35 years now, as a director, screenwriter and producer. Mani Ratnam may predominantly work in Tamil cinema but is cited as one of India's most influential filmmakers around the world, widely credited with revolutionizing the Tamil film industry and altering the profile of Indian cinema. Although working in the mainstream medium, his films are noted for their realism, technical finesse, and craft.

In a Special Spotlight, we take a look at the 25 Films directed by Mani Ratnam. They may all not been classics but a filmography like this is a definite study for not just film students but an experience for any avid movie buff.

1983: Pallavi Anu Pallavi (KANNADA)

Pallavi Anu Pallavi is a 1983 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Mani Ratnam in his directorial debut. It stars Anil Kapoor, Lakshmi and Kiran Vairale portraying the lead roles.

The film deals with an unconventional plot of a committed young man falling in love with an older woman, and finding himself and his true desires through the experience. Balu Mahendra and Ilaiyaraaja were the film's cinematographer and music composer, respectively. The film was an average commercial success, but earned critical acclaim from award committees.

Ilaiyaraaja composed the film's background score and soundtrack, the lyrics for which were penned by R. N. Jayagopal. The soundtrack album consists of four tracks.

In his biographical book Conversations with Mani Ratnam, Ratnam revealed that Balu Mahendra introduced him to Ilaiyaraaja. Ratnam told Raja that he was doing a Kannada film with a very small budget but wanted him to compose the music, while also confessing that he could not afford to pay the latter's market price. Raja agreed to work for one-fourth or one-fifth the amount he was getting at the time. The composer would go on to collaborate with the director for nine more of the latter's films, including acclaimed Tamil films like Pagal Nilavu (1984) Mouna Ragam (1986), Nayakan (1987), Agni Natchathiram (1988), Anjali (1990) and Thalapathi (1991).

1984: Unaru (MALAYALAM)

Unaru (English: Rise Up) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Mohanlal, Sukumaran, Ratheesh, Sabitha Anand, Ashokan and Balan K. Nair. The film gives the inside view of the problems that arose in the labour trade union parties in Kerala, with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja and cinematography by Ramachandra Babu.

1985: Pagal Nilavu (TAMIL)

Pagal Nilavu (English: The Afternoon Moon ) is a 1985 Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, featuring Murali, Revathi and Sathyaraj in the leading roles. It is about a carefree youth caught between his loyalty to a mafia don and his love for a cop's sister. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja, while the cinematography of the film was handled by Ramachandra Babu. Pagal Nilavu marked Mani Ratnam's entry into Tamil cinema, though the film became a failure at the box office.

1985: Idaya Kovil (TAMIL)

Idaya Kovil (English: Temple in Heart) is a 1985 Indian Tamil language film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Mohan, Ambika, Radha and Goundamani. Featuring a score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja, the movie did well at the box office.

1986: Mouna Ragam (TAMIL)

Mouna Ragam (English: Silent Symphony), also spelt Mouna Raagam, is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film narrates the life of Divya Chandramouli (Revathi), who is robbed of her carefree existence when she reluctantly marries Chandrakumar (Mohan). Divya, mourning the shooting death of her former lover Manohar (Karthik), does not really want to be married. The story follows Divya's inner conflict between holding onto her past and coming to terms with the present and making a life with Chandrakumar.

Mouna Ragam was released on 15 August 1986, India's Independence Day. Despite a modest beginning, it became a box-office success, and a major breakthrough in Ratnam's career. The critically acclaimed film received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil, and Ratnam received the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director. Mouna Ragam was later dubbed in Telugu with the same title, and was remade in Hindi in 1992 as Kasak with Rishi Kapoor and Neelam Kothari in the lead roles.

1987: Nayakan (TAMIL)

Nayakan (English: The Hero), also spelt Nayagan, is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language crime-drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Kamal Haasan. It is loosely based on the real-life Bombay underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, and sympathetically depicts the struggle of South Indians living in Bombay (now Mumbai). The film also stars Saranya Ponvannan in her film debut. Karthika, Nassar, Janagaraj, Delhi Ganesh and Tinnu Anand play significant roles. The soundtrack and score of the film were composed by Ilaiyaraaja and was met with a successful response after release. The film has been inspired from Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film The Godfather.

The film was released on 21 October 1987 on the occasion of Diwali and received critical acclaim worldwide. Kamal Haasan's performance as Velu Nayakan earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor. The film also earned the National Awards for Best Cinematography (P. C. Sriram) and Best Art Direction (Thotta Tharani). The film was India's official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988 at the 60th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

In 2005, the magazine TIME included Nayagan in its list of "All-Time 100 Best Films". The film was also included in The Moving Arts Film Journal's list of greatest films of all time.

1988: Agni Natchathiram (TAMIL)

Agni Natchathiram (English: Star of Fire) is a 1988 Indian Tamil action drama film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film is about two half-brothers who come into conflict with each other in their claim for legitimacy as sons of a common father. Prabhu and Karthik played the lead roles along with Amala and Nirosha as their pairs. This film marks the debut film for Nirosha. The film's score and soundtrack composed by Ilaiyaraaja was well received. The film was a blockbuster and completed a 200-day run at the box office.

1989: Geethanjali (TELEGU)

Geethanjali is a 1989 Indian Telugu-language romance film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Starring Akkineni Nagarjuna and Girija Shettar in lead roles, the film's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Upon release, the film met with both commercial success and critical acclaim. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film was later remade in Hindi as Yaad Rakhegi Duniya, starring Aditya Pancholi, Rukhsar and Vikram Gokhale.

The film's music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja to lyrics penned by Veturi Sundararama Murthy. All the songs turned out to be blockbusters.

1990: Anjali (TAMIL)

Anjali is a 1990 Tamil language feature film directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Raghuvaran, Revathi, Master Tarun, Baby Shruti Vijaykumar and Baby Shamili in the leading roles. The background score and soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Anjali was the composer's 500th film. The film deals with the story of a dying mentally disabled child, and the emotional trauma experienced by her family. The film was dubbed into Hindi and Telugu and released under the same name. Anjali was critically acclaimed, winning three National Film Awards. It was chosen as India's official entry to the Oscars in 1991, but was not nominated.

1991: Thalapathi (TAMIL)

Thalapathi (English: Commander) is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language crime-drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam and produced by G. Venkateswaran. It stars Rajinikanth, Mammootty and Shobana in the lead roles with Arvind Swamy, Srividya, Amrish Puri, Bhanupriya, Nagesh, and Charuhasan playing supporting ones. The theme is based on the friendship between Karna and Duryodhana of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. The score and soundtrack were composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The film, which features the last collaboration of Mani Ratnam and Ilaiyaraaja, was dubbed and released in Telugu and Hindi as Dalapathi. The film emerged as a critical and commercial success during its theatrical run.

The music score for the film was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, making it his last collaboration with Mani Ratnam.  The recording for the song "Sundari" had taken place in Mumbai with R. D. Burman's orchestra. When Raja gave them the notes they were so taken in by composition that all the musicians put their hands together in awe.

1992: Roja (TAMIL)

Roja (English: Rose) is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic thriller film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Arvind Swamy and Madhoo in the lead roles. The film was also dubbed in Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam and Telugu languages.

The film won three National Film Awards, including Best Film on National Integration, catapulting Ratnam to national acclaim. The film also gained international acclaim with its nomination for Best Film at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival. The film was later re-released for international audiences in light of the growing fear of terrorist attacks across the world. It is the first in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Bombay (1995) and Dil Se.. (1998).

The soundtrack of the film by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman is hailed as a masterpiece. He debuted as a film composer with this film. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, Filmfare Award for Best Music Director - Tamil and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for his work. This soundtrack is among the "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time listed by TIME magazine, issued in 2005.

1993: Thiruda Thiruda (TAMIL)

An Inspector is assigned to track down a large sum of stolen money. His investigations lead him to a couple of small time crooks, a village belle, a murder, an absconding suspect, and an international drug dealer.

Thiruda Thiruda (Thief! Thief!) is a 1993 Tamil action comedy heist film directed by Mani Ratnam written along with Ram Gopal Varma. had its soundtrack and background score composed by A. R. Rahman while the cinematography was handled by P. C. Sriram. The film opened to positive critical reception, but did not do well at the box office The film achieved cult status over the following years. In 1994, the film premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The soundtrack features 8 songs composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The album, along with that of Roja is regarded as a masterpiece from the acclaimed musician with many fans considering it among his best avant-garde work.

1995: Bombay (TAMIL)

Bombay is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala in the lead, and featuring music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is centered on events that occurred particularly during the period of December 1992 to January 1993 in India, and the controversy surrounding the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, its subsequent demolition on 6 December 1992 and increased religious tensions in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) that led to the Bombay Riots. It is the second in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja (1992) and Dil Se.. (1998).

Eventually becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the Chennai film industry, the film was well-received both critically and commercially, and it was screened at many international film festivals including the Philadelphia Film Festival in 1996 where it was an audience favourite. The film's soundtrack sold 15 million units, becoming one of the best-selling film soundtracks of all time, and earning composer A. R. Rahman his fourth consecutive Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil). However, the film caused considerable controversy upon release in India and abroad for its depiction of inter-religious relations and religious riots. The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia upon release.

The soundtrack of the film by Academy Award winner A. R. Rahman is hailed as a masterpiece.

1997: Iruvar (TAMIL)

Iruvar (English: The Duo) is a 1997 Indian Tamil epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film which is loosely based on the relationship between cinema and politics in Tamil Nadu, features Mohanlal in lead role along with Prakash Raj, Aishwarya Rai, Revathi, Gouthami, Tabu, and Nassar. Rai, a former Miss World, made her screen debut through this film in dual characters. The film had a very successful score and soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman and the cinematography was by Santosh Sivan. It was dubbed and released in Malayalam in the same name and Telugu as Iddaru

The film was showcased in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was a critical success and won the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival and two National Film Awards. In 2012, Iruvar was included by critic Rachel Dwyer in the 2012 British Film Institute Sight and Sound 1000 greatest films of all time which is considered to be one of the most respected film polls all over the world.

The film is still regarded as one of Mani Ratnam's best works. Mani Ratnam himself has named Iruvar as his best film, in an interview to National Award winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan. The movie enjoys enormous fan following among the Tamil diaspora and has achieved cult status over the years.

The film was also noted for its vignette style of making, with many single-shot scenes, where a fluid camera setup captures the entire action. Director Gautham Menon mentioned Iruvar as his inspiration, along with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, for long single-shot scenes in Neethaane En Ponvasantham.

1998: Dil Se (HINDI)

Dil Se (translation: From the Heart) is a 1998 Indian war romantic thriller film in the backdrop of insurgency in Northeast India, written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma, and Shekhar Kapur. The film stars Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in lead roles while Preity Zinta (in her film debut) appears in a supporting role. Mani Ratnam also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Tigmanshu Dhulia. It is the third in Ratnam's trilogy of terror films after Roja and Bombay. An example of parallel cinema tackling difficult subjects, to be found in director Ratnam's wider body of work as well, the film received a special mention at the Netpac Awards.

Noted for its non linear screenplay, the film won awards for cinematography, audiography, choreography, and music, among others. The film won two National Film Awards, and six Filmfare Awards. The  soundtrack is described as a landmark album in Indian music, with each and every song becoming a colossal hit.

2000: Alaipayuthey (TAMIL)

Alaipayuthey (English: Waves are flowing) is a 2000 Tamil musical romantic drama film co written co produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. Starring R. Madhavan and Shalini, the film explores the tensions of married life and the maturing of love. The score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman.

The film's story is mostly recollected in flashbacks by the character Karthik (Madhavan). Karthik and Shakthi (Shalini) fall in love against the backdrop of Chennai and its suburban trains, against the wishes of their parents. The film was well received by critics and it did well at the Tamil and Telugu box-offices primarily for its music and realistic portrayal of romance and married life.

The film made its European premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001. It was shown at various film festivals nationally and internationally. It also carried a very popular soundtrack, composed by A. R. Rahman. Alaipayuthey was also released in Telugu as Sakhi and was later remade and released in Hindi cinema in 2002, as Saathiya, directed by Ratnam's former assistant Shaad Ali.

2002: Kannathil Muthamittal (TAMIL)

Kannathil Muthamittal (English: A Peck on the Cheek) is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language musical war drama film written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. It features Madhavan, P. S. Keerthana and Simran in the leading roles with Nandita Das, J. D. Chakravarthy, Prakash Raj and Pasupathy portraying other pivotal characters. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman, while Ravi K. Chandran handled the cinematography. Mani Ratnam presents the story of a child of Sri Lankan Tamil parentage adopted by Indian parents, who desires to meet her biological mother in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

The film premiered at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, It also received a strong reception when screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2003. The film received high critical acclaim upon release and went on to win six National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South , seven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and Best Film awards at six international film festivals.

2004: Yuva (HINDI)

Yuva (Youth), originally titled Howrah Bridge, is an 2004 Indian political drama film directed by Mani Ratnam and released in 2004. The film was simultaneously shot in Tamil as Aaytha Ezhuthu and in Hindi, and is based on the storyline of students entering politics.

The film tells the stories of three young men from completely different strata of society and how one fateful incident on Kolkata's Howrah Bridge which changes their lives forever. The narrative of the story is partially in hyperlink format.

2004: Aaytha Ezhuthu (TAMIL)

Aaytha Ezhuthu (English: Three dots) is a 2004 Indian Tamil anthology political drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Suriya, Madhavan, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, Trisha Krishnan, and Esha Deol in the lead roles, while Bharathiraja appears in another pivotal role. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman, while Ravi K. Chandran was the cinematographer and Sreekar Prasad was the editor. The title of the movie was taken from the name of a Tamil letter -  ஃ - three dots corresponding to the film's three different personalities from completely different strata of society. The film was simultaneously shot in Hindi as Yuva with an entirely different cast barring Deol, while a dubbed version in Telugu was also released. The film was produced by Ratnam's home banner of Madras Talkies.

2007: Guru

Guru is a 2007 Indian drama film loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, a business magnate who founded Reliance Industries. The film was co-written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, R. Madhavan, Vidya Balan, Arya Babbar, and Mithun Chakraborty in the leading roles. The film also has Mallika Sherawat in a guest appearance. The score and soundtrack for the film was composed by A. R. Rahman. The film was dubbed and released simultaneously in Tamil as Guru and in Telugu as Gurukanth. In the Tamil version of the film, the lead role (Abhishek Bachchan) was dubbed by Suriya. The film was released on 12 January 2007 with its première at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday 11 January 2007, making it the first Indian film to have a mainstream international première in Canada. The film was premiered in the Tous Les Cinemas du Monde (World Cinema) section of 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

2010: Raavan (HINDI)

Raavan is a 2010 Indian Hindi epic adventure film co-written, co-produced, and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vikram in the lead roles. Govinda, Ravi Kishan, Nikhil Dwivedi, Tejaswini Kolhapure and Priyamani feature in key supporting roles. This film was the Bollywood debut of Vikram. It was simultaneously released in Tamil as Raavanan with a slightly different cast, which was also dubbed into Telugu and other regional languages. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman. The film was released on 18 June 2010. Its premiere was held in London on 16 June 2010.

2010: Raavanan (TAMIL)

Raavanan (English: Ravana) is a 2010 Indian Tamil epic adventure film co written, co produced, and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film features Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Prithviraj in the lead roles, with a supporting cast led by Karthik, Prabhu and Priyamani. The film was also made simultaneously in Hindi as Raavan, with a slightly different cast. Furthermore, the film was dubbed and released in Telugu as Villain, with all three versions releasing simultaneously on 18 June 2010.

The film follows the crux of the epic Ramayana, with a ruthless police officer on the chase to find a tribal leader and lawbreaker, who has kidnapped his wife. Veeraiya, the kidnapper and his motive for the kidnap has been led on by the death of his sister, as a result of police custodial torture and brutal rape. The film explores the search by the officer, whilst exploring the changing emotions that the three protagonists experience with each other, leading to a riveting climax, situated in the jungle. This film is based on stockholm syndrome.

Raavanan was announced in February 2008, amidst much hype of the celebrated director, Mani Ratnam's return to Tamil films, whilst Vikram's and Aishwarya Rai's selection in the lead roles, creating more anticipation. Shooting began soon after, and took place in various locations with a record number of extras in areas including Chalakudy, Kerala and Ooty, Tamil Nadu amongst other regions throughout India. The film received mixed to positive reviews, and performed average at the box office.

2013: Kadal (TAMIL)

Kadal (English: The Sea) is a 2013 Indian Tamil crime-drama film co-written, co-produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film features debutantes Gautham Karthik, son of actor Karthik, and Thulasi Nair, daughter of Radha, in the lead roles, with Arjun Sarja and Aravind Swamy in supporting roles. The music was composed by A. R. Rahman. The film revolves around life of Christian fishermen who instill the fact that how faith can sometimes lead to the triumph of humanity. The film was dubbed into Telugu as Kadali. The film was released worldwide on 1 February 2013 in both the versions.

Kadal received mixed reviews from critics with most terming the film as an average by Mani Ratnam's high standards.

2015: O Kadhal Kanmani (TAMIL)

O Kadhal Kanmani (English: Oh Love, Apple of my Eye), also known as OK Kanmani, is a 2015 Indian Tamil romantic drama film written, directed and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles, portraying a young couple in a live-in relationship in Mumbai. Prakash Raj and Leela Samson play supporting roles as an older couple in the film, portraying the younger couple's landlords. The film was said to be a "reflection of the modern mindset of urban India", dealing with issues such as marriage and traditional values.

The film featured music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography by P. C. Sreeram and editing by Sreekar Prasad. Prior to the film's release, the soundtrack was well received and the promotional activity of the film on social media, also garnered praise. O Kadhal Kanmani was released on 17 April 2015, along with its dubbed Telugu version OK Bangaram, and won positive reviews from critics, praising the lead pair's performances and the quality of the film's technical aspects. The film went on to become a financial success at the box office, performing extremely well in multiplexes in India and overseas

2017: Kaatru Veliyidai (TAMIL)

Kaatru Veliyidai (English: Breezy Expanse) is the latest Indian Tamil-language romance film produced, written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Featuring Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead roles, the film has music composed by A. R. Rahman and cinematography by Ravi Varman. It is simultaneously released in Telugu as Cheliyaa.

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