Film history: Ilaiyaraaja and Mani Ratnam made only 10 movies together

Ilaiyaraaja (centre), with then Union minister Arun Jaitley and actor Anil Kapoor, at the 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2015), in Panaji, Goa on November 20, 2015. Ilaiyaraaja received the centenary award at the inauguration of this festival. (Image: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting via Wikimedia Commons)

In letters to his brother Theo, Vincent Van Gogh describes how and why he chose the cardboard panels, mixed his own dyes, and his canvases. He chose the canvases depending on their texture and weave, and how they’d respond to pigments and dyes he was experimenting with… He knew which paints would merge well with others and match well with one another, boosting the original colour and texture. As the books say, ‘the vivacity and range of the colour hues Van Gogh employed in his imprimatura were distinctive and exciting. Van Gogh combined the ground and the underpainting by applying a coloured ground in order to save on time and materials.’

What does this have to do with the two magicians who share their birthdays? Close your eyes and listen to Neeve Amaraswarame:

You can actually pretend you are the maestro, conducting the music, ordering the repetitive notes on the keyboard to start a rhythm, and then gradually adding instrument after instrument to introduce the voice, and then keeping the instruments in control to let the voice do its thing. And remember it’s the disco '80s. To hear something as beautiful as this is rare.

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam shares his birthday with musician Ilayaraja - they've only ever made 10 films together. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

Ilaiyaraaja and Mani Ratnam worked together on ten films, and created magic that will last beyond the two men and their differences. The subjects that Mani Ratnam chose were different - a young man finds he's attracted to an older woman, a woman married to a famous singer cannot take the attention he gets from female fans and leaves him, a woman is forced by her family to marry a man and asks for a divorce as a wedding gift - but no matter what the story, Ilaiyaraaja’s background scores and the songs added that stardust and made them wonderful.

The first of their collaborations came in the form of a Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). At this time Mani Ratnam was a struggling filmmaker and Ilaiyaraaja had already achieved fame. This Kannada film also put Anil Kapoor on the cine star map (he had acted in one Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham as a lead). For its time, to show a young man in love with an older woman was a rather bold decision to make as a storyteller. Yes, today, the confusion seems annoying: should he give in to the pressures of society and choose the younger woman (Kiran Vairale, whom you have seen in Namkeen, Saagar, Prem Rog and even Bhumika) or make a life - rather complicated - with an older, married woman who is separated from her husband (played by Laxmi, who was a star at that time. You have seen her in the Hindi film Julie). Look at this life montage in the song ‘Hrudaya Rangoli’.

Unaru (1984, Malayalam) was their second collaboration, and as with many films of the '70s (both Hindi and in other languages), this one too dealt with trade union politics. It is available on YouTube for you to see, and tell me if having Mohanlal made you like it better. The next film Idaya Kovil was a huge musical and it offered the lost love story of a singer who learns to fall in love again...

But it was Revathi and her flashing eyes that make the magic of Ilaiyaraaja's music and Mani Ratnam’s direction come alive. That film is Mouna Ragam (1986, Tamil). As the name suggests, she doesn’t say much, but her eyes speak volumes. Whether she’s angry that she’s being forced to marry someone she does not love, or she discovers love for her husband slowly, Revathi embodies everything that Mouna Ragam tries to be. The following video contains some spoilers, but this was the film which made me stand up and scream: ‘Follow her, you idiot!’ and then cry happy tears when he stumbles and runs to her. No other train station scene with piano music comes close...

Then came Nayakan (1987). The Indian Godfather. The story is loosely based on the life of Varadarajan Mudaliar, the ruler of the Bombay underworld. Kamal Haasan looks so young and innocent in the beginning of the movie, you have to watch it a couple of times before you see his awesome, fearsome transformation. The role won him a National Award and the film is known as one of the best Indian films ever. The background score (and the songs) are simply incredible. The Tamil film is on Amazon Prime Video. The film was remade in Hindi as Dayavan (starring Vinod Khanna and Madhuri Dixit and was directed by Feroz Khan, it is on YouTube).

If anyone tells you that they saw their next movie Geethanjali (1989) for Nagarjuna or for the story, you know that they are lying. They actually, secretly love the film for the songs. This story of a cancer-ridden hero and heroine came into our lives way before The Fault In Our Stars. And this is the song that has many versions, simply because the original is magnificent.

I have always believed that movies that tell stories of children with disabilities are extremely manipulative in the telling. You cannot but say that you have been moved by the film. Anjali (1990), the next collab work between the two men is a bit like that. A husband keeps a secret from his happy ‘two kids and a wife’ family, but is caught. The secret is a little mentally challenged girl called Anjali. If you are groaning with the emotional burdens heaped upon you, the filmmaker has just started. The family has to learn to accept the child in their home, and she ‘teaches’ them inclusivity and acceptance. The songs, though, make you spill your emotions from your eyes.

That brings us to Thalapathi (1991, Tamil, listed as "Dalapathi" on Amazon Prime Video). The film stars Rajinikanth and Mammootty (and the gorgeous Aravind Swamy as well). They say that there are no original stories, and that they can all be found in the epic Mahabharata (and if they are not in the Mahabharata, then they fail as stories!). Thalapathi is based on the wonderful story of friendship between Karna and Duryodhana. That alone should instantly take you over to Amazon Prime Video, to watch the film. But you will see how fabulous the cinematography is too. Santosh Sivan behind the camera makes everything this movie is telling a wonderful watch, including the granny who dislodges the twinkle-toed Rajinikanth.

Ten films in ten years. This was a successful partnership, as they say in the movies. Then came the headlines that talked about a collaboration gone sour, friendship broken, partners who parted ways, bitter divorce of heart and soul… Columnists speculated why the two masters decided to not work with one another any more. Should you seek an answer from the Internet, you will get a list of a hundred reasons. The only losers were audiences like me, who still hum the tunes and dance in the rains that will arrive soon...