The pure beauty of Mani Ratnam’s films, who turned 67 on June 2, has astounded audiences. A R Rahman and Ilaayaraja, as well as cinematographers Santosh Sivan and Ravi Varman, composer A R Rahman, and art directors Thotta Tharani, constantly provide their best. Ponniyin Selvan 2, his most recent movie, has just been launched on Amazon Prime Video, demonstrating Mani’s brilliance. But you can binge watch a ton more of his flicks that are available on OTT.
Nayakan, 1987
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Every filmmaker wishes they could tip their hat to The Godfather at some time in their career. Mani Ratnam used the essence of it to create a movie that was born in South India. His main character, Sakhtivelu, the Dharavi don who was portrayed by Kamal Haasan and was modelled on the real-life figure Varadarajan Mudaliar, exuded both threat and sympathy in equal measure. The movie was nominated for numerous accolades, represented India at the Oscars that year, and was included in TIME magazine’s list of the Top 100 Films.
Thalapathi, 1991
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In Mani’s modernised adaptation of the Karan-Arjun fight scene from the Mahabharata, Rajinikanth played Surya, the right-hand man of the neighbourhood don Devaraj (Mammootty). The introduction of an upright district collector named Arjun (Arvind Swamy) causes their criminal empire to crumble. The two guys at war didn’t realise they were half brothers. The illegitimate son tragedy is shown in the epic when Surya gives his life to save his brother while their mother (Srividya) begs Arjun to live. Mani Ratnam and Rajinikanth collaborated on this movie exclusively.
Kannathil Muthamittal, 2002
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
This movie, which is one of Mani’s few political ones, is based on a narrative by Sujatha, a Tamil author. It depicts the tale of a Sri Lankan child who was adopted by Indian parents and longs to meet her mother as her nation is embroiled in civil conflict. Amudha (P S Keerthana) finds out that her parents (R Madhavan-Simran) and her two brothers are not their genuine family when she is nine years old. Her parents grudgingly agree to take her to Sri Lanka despite her insistence on going there. She finally encounters her mother, an LTTE militant (Nandita Das), after enduring a great deal of risk.
Iruvar, 1997
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video
Iruvar pays homage to the golden age of Tamil cinema, which has a close relationship with state politics. One of Ratnam’s best works, it is a thinly disguised account of Tamil superstar M. G. Ramachandran, his friendship and political struggle with M. Karunanidhi, and his relationship with actress-turned-politician Jayalalitha. It generated some controversy when it was first aired. In addition to Prakash Raj, Revathi, Gauthami, Tabu, Nasser, and Mohanlal (as MGR), Aishwarya Rai made her acting debut in the movie.
Mouna Ragam, 1986
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video and MX Player
One of Mani’s earliest films, this romantic drama demonstrated his early mastery of the storyline and technical mastery, allowing him to tenderly handle a melodramatic story. When Kartik, the man Divya loves, is slain, she is coerced into marrying Chandra Kumar (Mohan). She answers that she wants a divorce when her spouse inquires about her ideal wedding present. She explains to him her past and the reasons she does not want to be his wife. They must wait a year for the divorce to be finalised, but during this time, as they deal with their shared highs and lows, they fall in love.
Alai Payuthey, 2000
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Karthik (R Madhavan) and Shakthi (Shalini) wed against their parents’ desires in this contemporary urban romance. But because they lack the maturity to handle the ups and downs of marriage, they quickly reach their breaking point. The two don’t realise what it takes to build a solid basis for a marriage until they experience an accident, a severe crisis, and see how another couple of love has done it. The otherwise uninteresting plot was greatly improved by the amazing music of A R Rahman. It was the first of Ratnam’s films to be remade, and it was done by his old assistant Shaad Ali as Saathiya (2002) in Hindi.
Geethanjali, 1989
Stream on: Voot
In the Telugu movie Geethanjali, starring Nagarjuna and Girija, Prakash and Geethanjali fall in love while pulling practical jokes on one another and are unaware that they each have a terminal illness. Their relatives are attempting to keep them apart because they don’t want them to suffer heartache. Despite not being among Mani’s greatest, the weepie was a hit and went on to win honours. In 1992, Yaad Rakhegi Duniya, a Hindi remake, was released.
Anjali, 1990
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Shekhar (Raghuvaran) and Chitra (Revathy) already have two healthy kids, but when a third child is born who has a mental handicap and has a short lifespan, he hides the fact from his wife and tells her the baby was stillborn. When Chitra eventually learns, she demands that Shamili bring Anjali home. The youngsters in the colony are harsh to Anjali, and it is challenging to nurture a child with special needs. She teaches her tormentors a lesson in inclusivity, though, by charming everyone with her sweetness and goodness. It was selected as India’s entry for the Oscars and dubbed in various languages.
Bombay, 1995
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Bombay, a film on religious unrest in Mumbai following the destruction of the Babri Masjid, was only made public after some controversy and, purportedly, with the approval of Shiv Sena president Bal Thackeray. Shekhar (Arvind Swamy) develops feelings for Shaila, a Muslim woman. They refuse to get married despite their parents’ wishes. When the violence starts, they are blissfully residing in Bombay with their two sons. As the city burns, they become separated from their kids in the commotion.
Roja, 1992
Stream on: Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5
Madhoo’s character Roja is a straightforward woman from a Tamil Nadu hamlet who marries Rishi (Arvind Swamy), an intelligence officer assigned to Kashmir. Roja finds it excited to be in this lovely location—until terrorists take her spouse. Now since she can’t even speak the language, she has to try to save him. This Hindi-dubbed movie, which came out immediately after Thalapathi, was a success. As Mumbai celebrities clamoured to work with him, Mani Ratnam established himself as a leading director not just in Tamil Nadu. Roja Jaaneman, Chhoti Si Aasha, Rukmini Rukmini, and Yeh Haseen Waadiyan are some of A R Rahman’s best-known songs.
