In Andhra Pradesh he is still known as the maker of the film 'Gitanjali' the poignant, evergreen love story released in the year 1989 about two people who have only six months more to live and the affection between them.
The film shot in the picturesque mist filled hills of Ooty is still considered as one of its kind love story to come out of Tollywood and is today talked as a cult film.
When a new film directed by Mani Ratnam is released, there is no need to expect how good it will be.
Not because of the great track record of this master movie maker, but because of the exclusive feeling that people recognize with his movies and which they get only out of his films.
Today is the date in which this maestro was born.
When a person like P.C.Sriram who is regarded as one of the greatest cinematographers in India says that It is Mani Rathnam's films that have brought the best out of him, is there a need to explain why this film maker is said to have a born talent for an intense sense for merging the colours, moving visuals, lights, and the music in such a way that the most members of the audience are likely to carry the film close to their heart for the rest of their lives.
Another trademark of Mani Rathnam movies is their longevity. The movie 'Anjali' which was released way back in 1990 even if comes to the theatres today will create the same effect of innocence.
Born in 1956 as the son of a film producer 'Venus' Gopalrathnam in Chennai, he went on to take a management degree from the Bajaj Institute in Mumbai but instead of joining a company he joined the film field.
He made his debut as a director with a kannada film 'Pallavi Anu Pallavi' in 1983 having Anil Kapoor in the lead role.
But he really made a mark and announced his coming of age as a director with the great film 'Mauna Ragam' released in 1986 powered by some of the best songs ever composed by the music maestro Illayraja.
'Nayakan' came in 1987 and presented Kamal Hassan with the national award for the best actor.
The tale of a young man forced by the circumstances to become an underworld don, this film made the world to notice for what can be expected from the talent possessed by Mani Rathnam.
'Roja' in 1992 made not only the director a household name all over India but also became a vehicle for an unknown very young music director called A.R.Rahman to bring a change that came like a twister into the Indian film music.
The people till then had not heard any film music of that kind and when that music acted as a binding gel to perfectly hold toghether the mood of the film which can be described as a quest by a newly married girl to somehow get back her husband from the terrorists turned out to be sheer magic on screen.
The impact of the film can be finely understood by the fact that it was none other than the former acclaimed election commissioner T.N. Seshan who after liking the movie officially endorsed it.
'Thiruda Thiruda' was a great attempt to tell an unusual story, but the film failed to create the same effect of the earlier Mani Rathnam film were not felt by the audience.
But the highly groovy music of A.R.Rehman will still give a tough fight to all the techno and rock music influenced hitting the music stands now.
The year 1993 saw the master getting back to his strong self with the block buster 'Bombay'.
The story unveiled in the backdrop of the notorious riots of Mumbai in 1993. The movie became a big hit and cemented his place in India as one of the best directors ever.
When we see the film 'Iruvar', we certainly feel that the story of the film can be dared to be made into a movie only by Mani Rathnam.
Released in 1997 and inspired from the relationship between two great film personalities and later on political icons of Tamilnadu, M.G. Ramachandran and the current chief minister K.Karunanidhi, this film was not a very big commercial success only because people expected something and the movie offered something else, which people were not able to relate to.
But then you cannot expect a bold film maker like Mani Rathnam to follow the trends when he himself is like a person who inspires other film makers to get a spark from his films and start a trend.
There are other movies in the versatile director's kitty and the man is still going strong and has lots of years more to contribute and be cult figure for the public and aspiring film makers.
What ever happens in the future, just a small fact that 'Nayagan' is considered as one among the greatest movie ever made in the world by the Time Magazine is enough to call Mani Rathnam as one of the best ever from his breed to be born in India.
