Mani Ratnam

At 67 years old, Mani Ratnam has this physical status:

Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), also known as Mani Ratnam on film, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who mainly works in Tamil cinema.

In 2002, the government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, in recognition of his contribution to film. Despite being born in a film family, Mani Ratnam did not have a keen interest in movies when he was young.

Following his post-graduate degree in management, he began his career as a consultant.

Pallavi Anu Pallavi, a 1983 Kannada film, came into film.

If his subsequent films went well, he'd be left with fewer offers.

However, Mouna Ragam (1986), his fifth directorial outing, established him as the country's best film director.

He continued this tradition with Nayakan (1987).

Mani Ratnam is best known for his "Terrorism trilogy" which includes Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se.

(1998). He is married to actress Suhasini and has a son with her.

He has received numerous film awards and nominations, including six National Film Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, and three Bollywood Filmfare Awards.

Early life

Mani Ratnam was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, on June 2nd as the second child of a family closely associated with film production. His father, S. Gopala Ratnam, was a film distributor for Venus Pictures, and his uncle "Venus" Krishnamurthy was a film director. G. Venkateswaran, his elder brother, will continue to make Mani's films. G. Srinivasan, his younger brother, who, like Venkateswaran, will also coproduce some of his films. Mani Ratnam, his siblings, and cousins grew up in Madras (now Chennai). Despite being a film family, the children were not allowed to watch films because the elders considered them taboo. In a 1994 interview, he said, "As a youngster, films seemed to be a waste of time;" he later discovered that watching films was becoming more popular when he was attending Besant Theosophical School. He developed an adoration for actors like Sivaji Ganesan and Nagesh during this period; he spent time in their films. He became a fan of legendary director K. Balachander as he found him. He graduated with a degree in commerce from the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, which is affiliated to the Madras University, after finishing his studies. Later, he obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in finance from the Jamnal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai. He began working as a management consultant in Madras, and continued to work there for a long time after finishing his post-graduate degree in 1977.

Personal life

Suhasini, a Ratnam actress, was born on August 26, 1988. Nandan, the couple's son, was born in 1992. The family lives in Alwar, Chennai, where he runs his production firm, Madras Talkies.

Mani Ratnam was wounded and hospitalized after homemade bombs were thrown at his house by attackers, who police as religious fundamentalists, in the aftermath of anti-Bombay protests involving a Hindu man's affair with a Muslim woman.

When Mani Ratnam and 49 others written to Modi on April 19, they expressed worry about the increasing of communal violence against minorities, Christians, and Dalits, before Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in 2014.

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Film career

Mani Ratnam was not happy with his work as a consultant because it was merely an extension of his academic work. Ravi Shankar, son of director B. R. Panthulu's, was filming his first film during this period. Mani Ratnam, Ravi Shankar, and another acquaintance, Raman son of filmmaker S. Balachander, also participated in the script. In order to guarantee his participation in the film's production, Mani Ratnam took a sabbatical from his work. The designers were largely dependent on the American Cinematographer journal for being inexperienced. Vishnuvardhan, Srinath, Ambarish, Lakshmi, and Roja Ramani were among the principal cast members. Mani Ratnam, a consultant, left his consulting career and joined the crew when filming was set to begin in Kolar, Karnataka, on Tuesday. The film, on the other hand, was sadly unsuccessful and was eventually shelved. Nevertheless, he was firm in his intention of becoming a film director. Although not impressed with many of the films made in Tamil cinema, he was "amazed" at Bharathiraja's 16 Vayathinile (1977), K. Balachander's Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Mahendran's Mullum Malarum (1978) and Uthiripookkal (1979). During this period, he befriended P. C. S. Bharathi, Santhana Bharathi, and P. Vasu, who expressed his curiosity in entering film company.

Mani Ratnam had a script to be narrate or film narrate the script to a "celebrated" film-maker in order to collaborate with them and learn about the various aspects of film-making. Bharathiraja, Bharathiraja, and Mahendran were three of the three directors selected by the emperor. He decided to search out for a producer as the attempts to meet and convince all three were unsuccessful. He and P. C. S. S. S. Sutton, who would collaborate with him in the majority of his future projects, met around 20 people in the process, but all of the attempts turned out to be fruitless.

Mani Ratnam turned a script that had been originally written in English, into a film, naming it Pallavi Anu Pallavi. Krishnamurthy agreed to produce the film, but gave the caveat that it should be made under a tight budget in Kannada, which he accepted. Balu Mahendra was persuaded to film as he found the latter's work to be impressive. He managed to bring other crew members (for editing), Thota Tharani (for art direction), and Ilaiyaraja (for music composers), all top craftsmen in their respective fields. After watching his role in the Telugu film Valiant Vruksham (1980), he cast Anil Kapoor for the male lead. As the female lead, Lakshmi was given the honor of being the female lead. The film examined a young man's friendship with an older woman. Despite the fact that Mani Ratnam received the Best Screenplay Award from the Karnataka State Government for the year 1983, despite being an average grosser at the box-office. After watching Pallavi Anu Pallavi, N. G. John gave him the opportunity to direct a film in Malayalam. T. Damodaran,and Mohanlal's scripted heroUnaroo was about the corruption in Kerala's labour unions. In April 1984, the film was completed in two months and released in April 1984. Mani Ratnam attributed the film's failure to a lack of interest that he and the producer had. Following this, he stepped into Tamil cinema when G. Thyagarajan of Sathya Jyothi Films gave him a chance to direct Pagal Nilavu (1985). Murali and Revathi were the leading characters in the film. In that it contained dance sequences and a "comedy track," it was different from his previous two films in that it contained dance sequences and a "comedy track." Idaya Kovil, a romantic drama, was released by the same year. He redesigned a ready-made script based on Charlie Chaplin's Limelight (1952). Despite being dissatisfied with the final product, the film was a huge box-office hit. Pallavi Anupallavi's being satisfied was the toughest phase of his career, with only Pallavi Anupallavi being happy; the other three completed with a lot of "compromises."

Mani produced the Tamil romantic drama Mouna Ragam, which starred Revathi and Mohan in 1986. The film was critically praised for its portrayal of urban Tamils in a "realistic" way. It focused on the story of the couple's infidelity. Ilaiyaraaja's score was lauded and became extremely popular after its introduction. Later, Mouna Raagam was dubbed into Telugu under the same name and became a big hit in Andhra Pradesh as well. Mani's career as a filmmaker was boosted by the film's success, winning the National Film Award in Tamil at the 34th National Film Awards. He received his first Filmfare Award for directing the film.

Mani directed Nayakan, starring Kamal Haasan, in 1987, and the film gained a national audience. The film, based on the true life of underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar, and depicts an orphanaged slum-dweller and his ascension to the top of the Bombay underworld hierarchy, inspired by the 1972 American crime film The Godfather. In 2005, it was included in Time magazine's All-Time 100 Greatest Movies. The Apu Trilogy and Guru Dutt's Pyaasa are the only two Indian films to have appeared on the list. The film was described by Indian critics as India's answer to The Godfather. At the 35th National Film Awards, Nayakan was both commercially successful and critically acclaimed, winning three National Awards—Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction. At the 60th Academy Awards, the film was India's official entry to the Best Foreign Language Film category, but it was not nominated.

Mani wrote and directed Agni Natchathiram in 1988, following these two commercial successes. The film revolves around Prabhu and Karthik's story and is notable for the use of new camera techniques in camera framework, particularly during the songs. The film had a good run in the box office.

Nagarjuna and Mani Ratnam, two Telugu actors, worked on a Telugu film in 1989, and it is the only Telugu film directed by Ratnam. The film Geethanjali, which had Nagarjuna and Girija Shettar in the lead, told the tale of an ill-fated couple who are both suffering from terminal illnesses. In 1990, Geethanjali was critically acclaimed and received the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. In addition, it was awarded the Best Director and Nandi Award for Best Story Writer for Mani. Mani's film Anjali, which starred Baby Shamili as the central protagonist, maintained a momentum of telling emotional tales of underserved people. Raghuvaran and Revathy were among the film's cast members, who told the tale of an autistic child who changed the lives of those around her. At the 63rd Academy Awards, the film was a commercial success and was nominated as India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film segment. Mani made another underworld-themed Tamil film, Thalapathi (1991), starring Rajinikanth and Mammootty following Anjali's debut. The film, which was loosely based on Mahabharata, dealt with the friendship between Karna and Duryodhana, portrayed by Rajinikanth and Mammmooty respectively. On its first release, the film received both critical acclaim and commercial success. Both Ilaiyaraaja's musical contribution and Mani's work were highly lauded when they went on to win the Music Director and Best Director awards respectively at the 39th Filmfare Awards.

Mani's long-term collaboration with music producer Ilaiyaraaja came to an end, with debutant music director A. R. Rahman scoring his Tamil masterpiece Roja (1992). The venture was fruitful, winning Mani various accolades. Roja, a romantic film, was about terrorism in the Kashmir region. It was nominated for the Golden St. George Award at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival, starring Arvind Swamy and Madhoo. It became extremely popular, gained a legendary place in Indian cinema, was dubbed into other languages, and was gaining equal success in other nations. Mani's next film, Thiruda Thiruda (1993), took a more light-hearted approach. Ram Gopal Varma's scripted the film, which was a departure from Mani's previous style and fared moderately at the box office. In 1994, Thiruda Thiruda premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Mani partnered with Ram Gopal Varma to produce the screenplay for the latter's Telugu film Gayam, a socio-politicso film loosely based on The Godfather. Mani returned to Tamil language drama in 1995 through Bombay's script starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, which told the tale of a Hindu-Muslim couple in the midst of the 1993 religious riots and bombings in Bombay. It was also the first Indian film to put a special emphasis on marriage between Hindu and Muslim people. On its release, the film received controversies and censorship. It was then dubbed into Hindi, where critics and investors alike applauded for its commercial success and admiration. It has received a number of accolades, including Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration, Political Film Society Awards, and the inaugural Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Mani produced Indira, his wife's directorial debut film, and then produced the critically acclaimed Iruvar, starring Mohanlal, Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, and Prakash Raj. At the FEST film festival in Belgrade, Iruvar was named Best Film at the "Festival of the Auteur Films." Dil Se., a third part of his "terrorism trilogy" and starring Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, with the latter completing the second collaboration. It displayed the closeness of a young man and a violent, troubled woman. Although she and her partner fall in love, she is unable to pursue the romance further due to her bleak past. The soundtrack album, which was again produced by A. R. Rahman, gained a large audience and gave Rahman his next Filmfare Award for Best Music Direction in 1999. Despite being a success in other countries, Dil Se.. launched with little note among film critics and failed in the domestic market. It was featured in numerous international film festivals and received the Netpac award (Ex-Aqueo) in the Berlin International Film Festival. The film has earned cult classic status over the years.

Mani directed the romantic drama Alaipayuthey, which starred R. Madhavan and Shalini in 2000. The film centered on marriage and explored marriages and their implications, as well as receiving critical praise. It was also on view at the Berlin International Film Festival.

He was instrumental in coordinating Netru, Indru, Naalai, a stage musical that premiered the first theatre performance, as well as Vasanth, with several other artists, to support The Banyan, a charity that helps women and children with mental disorders.

Kannathil Muthamittal was Mani's next film, which was about a child of Sri Lankan Tamil parentage who was adopted by Indian parents who wants to see her biological mother during the Sri Lankan Civil War. The film was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, winning six National Film Awards, Filmfare Award for Best Direction in Tamil, In the Spirit of Freedom Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival, and an award at the Indian Film Festival in Los Angeles. He created Aayutha Ezhuthu, which tells the tale of how one man sent three youths' lives on a collision course and received positive feedback. Mani made the film simultaneously in Hindi as Yuva, his second attempt into Bollywood. In the Hindi version, Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vivek Oberoi replaced Surya Sivakumar, R. Madhavan, and Siddharth. Aayutha Ezhuthu was lauded by critics like Yuva. When shooting Aayutha Ezhuthu, a mani sustained his first heart attack.

Mani produced Guru, a biographical film based on Dhirubhai Ambani, a business magnate from India, in 2007. Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai appeared in the film. The film, which was set in the early 1950s, became a box office hit and received critical acclaim. The 2007 Cannes Film Festival's Tous Les Cinemas du Monde (World Cinema) section featured Guru. Mani started working on a bilingual film called Raavanan, which was unveiled in 2010 Cannes Film Festival as part of the company's marketing campaign. In Hindi, Raavan and Gandhi. The Tamil version was dubbed Telugu and dubbed Villain in Telugu. On June 18, 2010, the film was released worldwide.

The film is loosely based on the Hindu epic Ramayana; its plot takes place over 14 days as a rebel named Veera, who lives in a forest, kidnaps a policeman's wife to venge his sister's death. Compared to its other versions, the Tamil version received glowing feedback from critics. The film was described as a "critics' pick" by the New York Times. However, the Hindi version's analysts snubbed it; Rajeev Masand said it was "a crushing bore of a film, a disappointment on virtually every count."

Mani's film, Kadal, received mixed reviews from critics and became a box office flop on February 1, 2013. Mani's film's producer lodged a police complaint later in the day due to the film's massive losses.

In April 2015, Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen as the lead pair appeared in his next film, romantic drama O Kadhal Kanmani. P.C. handled the film's cinematography and editing. Both S. S. Prasad and A. S. S. Prasad, were present at the premiere, while A. R. Rahman handled the sound. The film portrayed a young couple in a live-in relationship in Mumbai, and was considered a "reflection of urban India's urban mindset," addressing topics such as marriage and traditional values. The film, which was made on a small budget of 6 crores, received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.

Kaatru Veliyidai, starring Karthi, Aditi Rao Hydari, and RJ Balaji, was his next film. The film, which was shot during the Kargil War in 1999, follows a pilot who, during his time as a prisoner of war, reflects on his failed love life. Kaatru Veliyidai was released in April 2017 to mixed reviews and saw an average box office return.

Kattru Veliya Ratnam's next film, Chekka Vaanam, starring Arvind Swami, Silambarasan, Arun Vijay, and Vijay Sethupathi, was the lead actress, while Jyothika, Aishwarya Rajesh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Thiagarajan, and Mansoor Ali Khan were in the supporting cast, though Mansoor Ali Khan's Following their father's unexpected death, three children were battling for utter control of their family's life. Chekka Valiantha Valiantam opened in September 2018 to rave reviews, and it became a box office hit. Ponniyin Selvan, based on the Indian epic written by Kalki Krishnamurthy, is his next project. The film thus far stars Vikram, Karthi, Jayaram, Rahman, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Aishwarya Lekshmi, R. Parthiban, Daru, Prabhu, Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Hargita Dhu, And Many others in ensemble roles. Mani Ratnam and Subaskaran produced the venture under their banners Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions. A. R. Rahman's music was composed, while Ravi Varman handled the film's cinematography. A. S. Prasad, editor, was the editor. Initially planned as one film, reminiscent of Mughal-E-Azam, Ponniyin Selvan's was divided into two parts. This was done to ensure that the viewer would not be confused with the screenplay and story, which was based on the epic's five books. Ponniyin Selvan: I, the first part of the trilogy, was released theatrically on September 30, 2022.

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