The man considered to be one of the greatest talents India has ever produced in the field of movie direction is celebrating his birthday today ' 2nd June. Every single actor and technician in India who wants to make it big has an enduring desire to be part of this director's team.
Mani Ratnam's first movie 'Pallavi Anupallavi' was made in Kannada and brought to light the emotional struggles of a man in love with a woman older than himself. Though the movie bombed at the box office, the movie was successful in garnering a Karnataka state award. Many critics felt at that time that the movie was much ahead of its time. But there was no stopping Mani Ratnam.
He went on to make a string of movies in Tamil that rocked audiences with what was to be later called 'the Mani Ratnam style'. 'Mouna Ragaam' is the story about a woman who is ever so passionate about her love life before marriage that she cannot come to terms with her marriage with a groom of her parents' choice. Then came 'Nayagan', starring Kamal Haasan. The dark story of a helpless and homeless boy who goes on to become the undisputed don of the underworld. The movie won such rave reviews worldwide and a feather in the cap of Mani Ratnam's career is the fact that Nayagan has made it to the top 100 of Time Magazine's All Time Greatest movies.
Then came 'Agni Natchathiram' and 'Anjali' which were huge box office successes. 'Dalapathi' saw superstar Rajinikanth join hands with the ace director. The success was unimaginable.
A young wife battling political and rebellious situations in order to get back her kidnapped husband with war torn Kashmir as the backdrop had a stunning effect on audiences all over India. The movie was also hailed for it's intriguing patriotic spirit.
The film 'Bombay' pictured an embittered Mumbai city caught in riots and lives of lovers caught in it all. The husband a Hindu and the wife a Muslim, love one another and plod on to victory not letting the surrounding mayhem affect them. the movie stated beautifully that in times of adversity, true love can only get stronger.
With these films Mani Ratnam had captured national attention and become a household name in India.
'Alaipayuthey' rocked South India with its smooth screenplay and slick direction big time. The story of a boy and girl getting married secretly and living their lives with their respective families as though nothing had happened became the object of fascination among young minds. Passion overflowing in abundance among the central characters showed sparks of Mani Ratnam's understanding of youthful exuberance. The film was remade in Hindi titled 'Saathya' starring Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukherjee.
The presentation of Yuva was exceptional in the sense that one incident becomes the focal point and connects the lives of three individuals. Handling of the artists and the treatment was slick.
His latest flick 'Guru' with Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai was critically acclaimed and went on to be a huge money grosser.
Industry sources suggest that the team is coming together for another movie. The Tamil version of the film is to feature Vikram in the place of Abhishek Bachchan. Prithviraj has been assigned to play the villain. Though a popular hero, he has the experience of playing the baddie in the film 'Kanaa Kandaen'.
With the best technicians in the industry and his inimitable style of story telling, Mani Ratnam is indeed a huge asset to the world of cinema and let's all hope this ace director goes on to make many more absorbing film as the years roll on.
The musicmazaa team wishes Mani Ratnam a very happy birthday!
