Happy Birthday Mani Ratnam: Roja to OK Kanmani; 5 must watch Tamil films of the director

Mani Ratnam is one of the few filmmakers who have taken the road less traveled when it comes to the portrayal of beautiful elements and aspects of films. Be it Bollywood, Kollywood or Mollywood, Mani Ratnam’s films have been milestones for Indian cinema. His first film was Sandalwood’s 1983 film Pallavi Anupallavi starring Anil Kapoor. When he was born on this day in 1955 as Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam, no one would have predicted that he would turn out to be the Salman Rushdie of Indian cinema.

He is known for films that have progressive ideologies and it is very much evident in the portrayal of women in his films. All of his heroines had ambitions and ideologies. His next directorial will turn out to be one of the milestones for Kollywood as he is filming the epic Tamil novel Ponniyin Selvan. As Mani Ratnam is celebrating his 63rd birthday today, let’s take a look at five must-watch films of the director. Let us know in the comments below, which one of his films do you like the most.

1. Roja

Released in 1992, Roja had Aravind Swami and Madhubala as the lead actors. The film introduced AR Rahman to the entertainment industry, who later became a trendsetter. The film revolved around a rural girl, who gets married to a stylish urban youth. When they both go to Kashmir for a confidential government project, the hero gets kidnapped by a group of Pakistani terrorists. The film then shows how the rural girl breaks all barriers including language barrier to free her husband. The song 'Thamizha Thamizha' from the film would make anyone get goosebumps.

2. Iruvar

There could be hardly any Kollywood fan who would say that they have not watched Iruvar. Released in 1997, Iruvar was recognized and appreciated by critics across the country. The film basically narrates the rise of two powerful political leaders in Tamil Nadu, who would later rule the state till the end of their time. The film received a handful of awards including a National Film Award in 1997. Legendary actors including Mohanlal, Prakash Raj, Tabu, Nassar, Revathi, Gautami and Aishwarya Rai played lead roles in the film.

3. OK Kanmani

Oh Kadhal Kanmani was released on 17^th April 2015. The film showed the life of a modern-day couple (Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen), who do not believe in the concept of marriage. They start living together after sharing similar ideologies. However, when they find themselves falling in love with each other, how they struggle to take their relationship to the next level is the film’s main subject. Finally, when they see an elderly couple, they understand what compassion is, and decide to get married and they live happily ever after.

4. Alai Paayuthe

Released in 2000, Alai Paayuthe was a romantic story between two people, and how they join with each other beating all odds. Though the film narrated a beautiful love story, what made it unique was the fact that the film also showed the practical struggles faced by married couples. AR Rahman composed music for the film, while R Madhavan and Shalini played the leading roles. Vivekh and Swarnamalya were seen playing key roles in Alai Payuthey. The film had Khushbu Sundar and Aravind Swamy playing extended cameos.

5. Kannathil Muthamittal

Kannathil Muthamittal narrated the story of a small girl, who discovers that she was an adopted child. The film takes an unexpected turn when the girl flees from her home to reach out to her biological mother. The film moves forward when the whole family goes in search of her biological mother in Sri Lanka amid the war and all the bombings. Released in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal has Simran, R Madhavan, Nandita Das, and Keerthana Parthiban as the lead actors.