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Mani Ratnam (Tamil: மணி ரத்னம்) (born 2 June 1956 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an Indian Tamil filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. Directing landmark films such as Mouna Raagam (1986), Nayagan (1987), Anjali (1990), Thalapathi (1991), Iruvar (1997), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Yuva (2004), Guru (2007), and his "terrorism trilogy" consisting of Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1998),[1][2] Ratnam is widely attributed with having revolutionised the Chennai film industry and altering the profile of Indian cinema.[3] Ratnam has won five Filmfare Awards (South), four Filmfare Awards (Hindi), and twelve international film festival awards.[4] His tamil movie Nayagan and Satyajit Ray's Apu triology are the only Indian films to have appeared in Time's top 100 all time best movies.

Personal life and education
Mani Ratnam was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India to Tamil Brahmin parents. His actual name is Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam. After graduating with a degree in Commerce from Vivekananda College, University of Madras and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, he embarked on a career as a management consultant before becoming a filmmaker.

He got into film direction with the help of his late brother, film producer G. Venkateswaran. Ratnam married actress Suhasini in 1988. They have a son by name Nandhan Mani Ratnam.

Ratnam lives in Alwarpet, Chennai, where he runs his production company Madras Talkies.

Career

1980s

Mani Ratnam's directorial debut was in 1983, through the Anil Kapoor starring Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi. Mani Ratnam made significant headways in his first film, and also managing to persuade acclaimed director and cinematographer Balu Mahendra to serve as cinematography. The film boldly explored the nature of a relationship between young man and an elder woman. Mani's career after that remained on a lowlight as he failed to attain box office success. His following efforts were the Malayalam film Unaru (1984), which starred Mohanlal and then two Tamil films, the first being Pagal Nilavu followed by Idaya Kovil.

Finally in 1986, Mani attained commercial success in Tamil Nadu through the Tamil language romantic drama Mouna Ragam with Revathi and Mohan. The film told the story of friction between a newly-wed couple, and remains famous to date as a relevant and realistic portrayal of romance among urban Tamils. Its score by Ilaiyaraaja became a huge success upon release. Mani's status elevated further a year later writing Nayagan, directing an already versatile actor of Tamil cinema, Kamal Hassan for the film, which went on to become a legendary success in the industry. The film, which tells the story of an orphaned slum dweller and his rise to top of the Mumbai underworld hierarchy, was included in TIME Magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies.[5][6] The story was inspired by the real life story of underworld king Varadarajan Mudaliar.

Early 1990s

With commercial success coming back to back, Ratnam wrote and directed Agni Natchathiram. The film was notable for use of new techniques in terms of camera framework, especially during the shoot of songs in the film. The film had a successful run in the box office. Mani later returned to familiar territory of winning critical acclaim through his next film made in Telugu, named Geethanjali. The film which starred Nagarjuna in the lead role told the story of an ill-fated couple who are both suffering from terminal diseases. Ratnam maintained a momentum of making emotional stories of undeserved people through the Raghuvaran starring Chennai release Anjali in 1990. The film told the story of an autistic child and how she changed the lives of people in colony. Mani later made another underworld-themed Tamil film with Thalapathi in 1991 starring Rajnikanth and Mammooty. With a theme of friendship between a local don and a slum king, Thalapathi earned both critical acclaim and commercial success upon release. Thalapathi is unique in a sense that it is of the rare films with 2 climaxes. The Tamil and Telugu versions end with Mamooty's death where Rajinikanth is considered a matinee-idol. The Malayalam version ends with Rajini's death where Mamootty is based.

With Thalapathi, Mani ended his association with music director Ilaiyaraaja, bringing in debutant music director A. R. Rahman to score his Tamil epic Roja. It turned out to be Mani's greatest findings as Rahman would go on to become a musical legend on his own right in the annals of Indian cinema. Roja, a romantic film, tackled themes of terrorism in the regions of Kashmir. The film – starring Arvind Swamy and Madhoo – was released in 1992 and nominated for the Golden St. George Award at the Moscow International Film Festival and became so popular that it was dubbed into other languages and met similar success in other regions. Mani then took a more light-hearted approach with his next film – Thiruda Thiruda. Scripted by Ram Gopal Varma, the film saw the exploration of comedy action, a departure from the norm for Ratnam, and fared less well at the box office. In 1994, a retrospective of his Tamil films was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. In 1995, Ratnam returned to Tamil language drama. Bombay starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala told the story of a Hindu-Muslim couple in the midst of the 1993 religious Bombay riots and bombings. The film was met with controversy and censorship upon release. However Bombay was financially very successful and well appreciated by the critics. It won the Special Award from the Political Film Society, the Wim Van Leer In Spirit of Freedom Award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival and the Gala Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.[7][8]

Late 1990s

Again in 1995, Ratnam co-wrote and co-produced his wife Suhasini Mani Ratnam's directorial debut Indira. The film is a woman-centralized story, with Suhasini's cousin Anu Haasan playing the lead role. But failed to succeed at the box office. Ratnam returned to direction the following year with Iruvar, starring Mohanlal & Prakash Raj, a film that Ratnam himself considers to be his finest effort to date. Inspired by the real life story of iconic Tamil film star and politician MG Ramachandran and also current Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, it was hailed critically as a fine effort in film-making, winning Best Film at the Festival of the Auteur Films in Belgrade.[9]

Ratnam decided to charter new territories in with his next film, making his debut in Hindi language films with Dil Se. The film starred the Mumbai star Shahrukh Khan with Manisha Koirala. Ratnam used the conflict in the north eastern states as a backdrop to tell a love story between an Indian journalist and a north eastern woman. The film was particularly famous for the song Chaiyya Chaiyya which was shot atop a moving train. Ratnam returned to Tamil films after that and directed the romance drama Alaipayuthey (which has been remade in Hindi as "Saathiya") in 2000, starring R. Madhavan and Shalini. Alaipayuthey was a huge success both commercially and critically, as it explored post-marital problems between a young Chennai couple who married beyond their parents' consent, and also returned Ratnam's position as a box office factor.

2000–present

Ratnam's following effort, Kannathil Muthamittal saw him tackling adoption through the eyes of a Tamil refugee from Sri Lanka searching for her biological mother. The film was a critically lauded commercial success, winning six National Film Awards, Ratnam's second Filmfare Award South for directing, his second In Spirit for Freedom Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival and an award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. In 2004, Mani made his second Hindi language effort with Yuva. The film, which tells the story of three different youths and how one incident sends their three lives on a collision course, received positive reviews and was a hit in the box office. Ratnam also made the film simultaneously in Tamil as Aayutha Ezhuthu. The film was an average at the Tamil box office, but critics favored the Tamil version to the Hindi version. Ratnam also had his first heart attack during shooting for Yuva.

2007 saw Ratnam direct the Madras Talkies production Guru starring Abhishek Bachchan. It became one of 2007's biggest hits. Currently, Ratnam is working on a bilingual film being made in both Tamil and Hindi. The film has been titled Raavana in Tamil and Raavan in Hindi.
[edit] Filmography

The following is the list of films directed by Mani Ratnam. Many of his films have been dubbed or remade in several languages. For many of his films, Mani Ratnam is also credited for the story, screenplay and producing:

National Film Awards:

* 1990 - National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Geethanjali (Telugu)

* 2002 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Kannathil Muthamittal
* 1990 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Anjali
* 1986 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil - Mouna Raagam

* 1996 - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Bombay
* 1993 - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Roja

Movie Review:

Naan Kadavul

The most hard-hitting sensation you feel when you step out of the cinema hall after the movie is a queasy and disturbing feeling at the bottom of your tummy. Call it macabre fascination, call it reluctant appreciation for its stark canvas, call it a sadness (so typical of a Bala-film-effect, you say?) at some realities thrown brutally at you. Whatever it is, it is unavoidable and the movie DOES affect you and you WILL remember it in the hours to come. Let’s look at why…

The astrologers said it was bad luck to have his son at home. So, giving in to this superstition, as so many Indians do, a doting father abandons his son at Kasi and only returns after 15 years of guilt at his cruelty and sin drag him back to the holy place to find his boy and take him back home.

What the father finds is not a normal young man, but a wild, shaggy-haired and bushy-bearded man with an insane light shining in his eyes. Rudra (Arya) seems other-worldly, with his ranting and chanting of ancient texts. He seems like a madman, perhaps made so by the strange nature of the Agory swamis’ upbringing – teachings so radically different from what we learn at home and at our schools; being surrounded by corpses burnt or waiting to be burnt at the colossal open-air crematorium and incessant chanting and yogic meditation. All of this, combined with the hallucinogenic effects of unlimited marijuana, of course.

The boy makes his trip from the banks of the Ganges to the heart of Tamilnadu, with none of the return to “sanity” as his family hopes he will have. In fact, Rudra leaves home for a yogic life in a cave, never returning to human bonds like home, parents, family, etc.

Meanwhile, the life of temple beggars is thrown at us in harsh clarity. Those beggars who are not just poor, but blind, handicapped, less-than-able or absolutely unfortunate from birth or made so at the hands of the unspeakably cruel “beggar-runner”, Thandavam. The minutes you spend digesting what you are certain must be rife across the country, are full of sadness, disgust, shock and revulsion at the depths human minds can sink to. As the story weaves along (almost as insanely in places, like the grass Rudra smokes!), it includes the portrayal of the blind beggar girl Hamsavalli (Pooja), she of the sightless eyes and heavenly voice.

Once the characters are introduced, the movie is then about the struggle of these beggars to find positivity in their depressing lives, mirth even; and that of Rudra to impose upon us mere mortals that the search for God sometimes shows you that you ARE God yourself. The strange light shining from Rudra’s eyes now suddenly seems less like a deranged pot-smoker’s and more like someone blessed with some divine powers. Rudra’s violent streak, his swift retribution, his quicksilver mood swings and ultimately, his seemingly psychotic but deeply thought-provoking and wise teachings of life and death make you believe him when he says about himself, Aham Brahmasmi (I am the creator, I am Brahma).

Arya has done a superb job as Rudra. It must have been a difficult task to learn yogic poses and force the manic light out of his eyes amidst all that hair on his face, but he has done it very well. Plus, for a guy who can barely speak Hindi, his fluent switch from language to language is admirable too. His body is perfect for a yogi’s and his light eyes are truly magnetic. Here is a star in the making, for sure. And given Pooja’s great talent, her role of Hamsavalli was also beautifully executed.

The stark and very disturbing portrayal of all the beggar characters – real ones that Bala painstakingly researched and found, complete with the physical and mental disabilities that one usually didn’t get affected so powerfully by until now, during the movie…

The brilliant performance of Thandavam, the villain…

The screen presence of ones as seemingly insignificant, like the kind-hearted eunuch helper and the midget beggar boy who has, despite his woes, loads of attitude and a great sense of humour…

The haunting music throughout the movie…

The controlled violence and ritualistic nature of the fight sequences that leave you swallowing…

The combination of intrigue, suspense, mirth, cruelty, poignancy, shock-value and strangeness that is present for the entire duration…

These are what stay with you in your mind as you leave your seats once the movie is over.

On looking back, there are a few things that could have been righted in the movie. Like a little more of an explanation of why it all happens. It all seems a little too sudden sometimes. The sudden appearance of Rudra. The sudden weaving in of the beggars’ tales. The sudden correlation between them and him. How does he establish himself as someone like a sorcerer, etc., etc. Plus, most of Hindi and Sanksrit words should have had Tamil and/ or English subtitles to keep the audience in the loop of things. There is much violence (cruelly creative, we say!) that leaves you queasy (the scenes where Thandavam unleashes his terrible anger on his hapless beggars and on Hamsavalli). Add to this the freak-show quality of constant streams of differently-abled people shown on screen and the mindless and ruthlessly expressed cruelty of Thandavam and others; and you wonder what audiences is Naan Kadavul really made for – the mass audience, the “hat-ke” parallel cinema lovers or a mixture of both? Well, it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Whatever the answer may be, Naan Kadavul is full of Bala’s signature style of movie-making – the combination of a deeply psychotic side of human nature, an inexplicable godliness in man, and even some mirth in the face of adversity. The flow of the movie is as weird as the concept and story, edited ably by Suresh Urs. The colours of the visuals, thanks to cinematographer Arthur Wilson, are as real as they can get. The music by Maestro Ilayaraja is typically melodious and melancholy. And the overall movie experience, unforgettable.

Galatta’s verdict: Still weighing the points, will decide in a couple of days when the uneasy feeling in the stomach settles!

For Arya, this is his biggest movie awaiting critical acclaim, finally seeing the light of day after 2+ years in the making. And for the work he has done for it, we wish him nothing but the very best.

For the entire production team, our Naan Kadavul special feature in the February 2009 issue of Galatta Cinema is a tribute to off-the-beaten-path filmmaking. Pick up a copy off the stands or subscribe now from.

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Ajith in Simbu Birthday Function

Silambarasan recently threw a big party to celebrate his birthday and his 25 years in cinema. He claims this is his 25th year in cinema and since no TV channel came forward to throw a bash for him he decided to throw his own party and appreciate himself. (yenna Koduma Simbu Ithu)