It’s Mani Ratnam’s birthday today and the more we age, the more we realize what a brilliant director he is. A genuine innovator of Indian film, Ratnam has always been on the cutting edge of both his storytelling, visual style and experimentation with technology. From Roja to Ponniyin Selvan, his filmography is a textbook on filmmaking.
A Director Ahead of His Time
Mani Ratnam has always been known for his great strength in turning complex narratives to work within the medium of emotionally and visually strong cinema. He was one of the first filmmakers in South India to completely embrace new technology and modern story-telling, where even the most complex stories could be told simply and with a great deal of racy clarity.
Movies such as Bombay, Dil Se, Iruvar and more current movies such as Ponniyin Selvan 1 & 2 are proof of how he combines depth with the bigness of the silver screen. Whether it’s love amid the horrors of conflict zones or political power games, he has never been one to shy away from big issues.
His Everlasting Impression on Indian Cinema
Though Mani Ratnam has given unforgettable characters and thought-provoking stories, one of his biggest gifts to the industry is giving us Aishwarya Rai Bachchan through Iruvar, the actress broke through as an international star, but Ratnam’s lens was where her charismatic appeal was first captured.
Ratnam has dared to fight back and take risks despite box office flops. The fact he's still able to stand up, hit and continue fighting is a credit to his heart and will to win.
5 Facts That You Didn’t Know About Mani Ratnam
Real Name: He was born as Gopal Ratnam Subramaniam Iyer.
Directorial Debut: Surprisingly he is originally Tamilian, his first film again was a Kannada movie- Pallavi Anupallavi featuring Anil Kapoor, and Lakshmi.
Filmmaker without Film Background: Mani had never worked under any filmmaker before making his debut. He’s an original, an independent, quite free from the tyranny of the maestro.
Unconventional: Now veteran cinematographer Balu Mahendra, who was approached to film this debut, agreed that Ratnam was a total newcomer to this business.
A Vegetarian Maestro Entirely vegetarian in his personal life, Mani is famous for his simple living and his discipline in work.
The AR Rahman Collaboration: Fans will know that it was Ratnam who discovered A.R. Rahman with Roja – a collaboration that revolutionized Indian film music. Before Rahman, Ratnam had worked with Ilaiyaraaja who was a regular composer till 1997.
Tech Visionary Ratnam was one of the first film directors to comprehend the significance of digital and post-production processes and had teamed up with ace technicians P.C. Sreeram, Santosh Sivan, Rajeev Menon, Sreekar Prasad, Ravi K. Chandran and even Ram Gopal Varma.
Multilingual filmmaker: His slate includes projects in Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Telugu demonstrating his pan-Indian lure.
Also see: Happy Birthday Mani Ratnam: A Tribute to His Cinematic Masterpieces
International Honour: His magnum opusNayagan was included in TIME Magazine’s All-Time 100 Greatest Films list, a rare feat for Indian cinema.
Their Legacy is Alive and Well
Mani Ratnam is not just another name in the Indian film industry; he is someone who has redefined Indian cinema. And to ring in another year, fans and peers are reflecting on and paying tribute to the man who brought poetry to the screen, music to stories and depth to every frame.
Happy Birthday, Mani Ratnam — long may your celluloid odyssey enthral generations to come.
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