Films are the closest things I hold onto, in the hardest of my times. To me, they serve not just as an escape from reality but also, help me understand my world better. I had come across this quote –
“Life is a cinema.”
I find it absolutely true in my case because life is an interesting and a dramatic experience filled with a blend of joy, tragedy, excitement, jealousy, hatred and most importantly, love. Films create this amazing platform which help us, storytellers especially, portray our emotions and feelings in the most artistic way possible, thus, evoking most of our emotions. It is possible to create everything from the scratch when you’re making a film, like building characters inspired from real life, imagining and showing the technology that’s not even invented
yet and even more, travelling into an entire new universe.
Films have the potential to take their audience into a whole of a different realm in just a span of 120 minutes, which sounds quite dream-like. They have the potential to engage all our senses and in the process, give us goose bumps or get us all nostalgic and teary-eyed about our pasts and so on. My life revolves around this beautiful composition of art of storytelling. The artistry that goes behind film-making has always left me wondering- “How do we add that aesthetic sense to it? How do all these fragments of music, characters and props fit in and look so beautiful on the screen?”
Each time I watch a film, I learn something new about, both life and film-making. It was during high school that I had decided that I am going to be a part of this parallel universe, a stage where one gets the liberty to visually open the doors of one’s creativity and imagination, for the audience to watch and connect to.
The other day, a friend of mine asked me “Why do you like Mani Ratnam? Why do you like only him, out of all the filmmakers in the world?”
I couldn’t explain the reason in a single word. It was too big a thought to be put into simple words. That is my inspiration behind this write-up. So, here I am, writing about my mentor, my inspiration and above all, a self-taught filmmaker- MANI RATNAM.
Did you know his real name is Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam? Well, we all know his non-filmy background. Except for his family’s film distribution business; Mani Ratnam wasn’t allowed to watch films during his childhood. He was never even taken to any of the shooting spots either. In spite of having an MBA degree to his name, Mani Ratnam let go of his entire academic career and chose to pursue his passion, instead. He had admired the craft of it for so long a time that he further honed his skills in the field by watching more and more films. This justifies what I meant by ‘self-taught filmmaker’.
Mani Ratnam mastered the art of using Grey scale images (also known as black-and-white images which are composed exclusively of shades of grey, varying from black at its weakest intensity to white at its strongest) and used it the most in his political masterpiece, Iruvar. Mani Ratnam once said,
“It is important to me that I make films I’m proud of. Who said good films can’t be entertaining?”
Being one of the India’s most influential filmmakers, Mani Ratnam is widely credited for transforming the Tamil Film Industry and changing the face of Indian Cinema. Although working in the mainstream medium, his films are highly appreciated for their realism, technical finesse and aesthetic sense. Below, I have listed down eleven of his super hit films (Will do a case study on each of them, in the days to come) including their genres and plot, in order of their impressive delicacy for your must-watch list:
1. Iruvar (1997, Tamil)
Genre- Period, Political, Drama.
Mani Ratnam’s take on the real-life rivalry between M.G. Ramachandran (Mohanlal) and Karunanidhi (Prakash Raj), the two most prominent politicians who ruled Tamil Nadu politics. Iruvar is considered to be a masterpiece for its brilliant cinematography, art direction and out-of-the-box music.
2. Nayakan (1987, Tamil)
Genre- Crime, Drama
It is loosely based on Bombay’s real-life underworld Don, Varadarajan Mudaliar (Kamal Hassan), and sympathetically depicts the struggle of South Indians living in Bombay. The aging patriarch of an organized mafia dynasty looks out for a way to die with minimum pain and maximum repletion.
3. Kannathil Muthamittal (2002, Tamil)
Genre- Drama.
Mani Ratnam presents the story of a child (Keerthana) of Sri Lankan Tamil parentage adopted by Indian parents (Madhavan and Simran), who desires to meet her biological mother (Nandita Das) in the midst of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
4. Thalapathi (1991, Tamil)
Genre- Crime, Drama.
The theme is based on the underrated friendship between Karna (Rajinikanth) and Duryodhana (Mammootty) of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. But, it also traces the journey of an abandoned child in the search of answers from his biological mother (Srividya). The score and soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, for the last time in a Mani Ratnam film. Also, the film brings about a change of climate in the 1990s era as it was ahead of its time.
5. Roja (1992, Tamil)
Genre- Musical, Romance, Thriller.
A young woman (Madhoo) from a village in Tamil Nadu marries a sophisticated city dweller (Arvind Swamy) and moves with him to Kashmir, where all is rosy – until he gets kidnapped by militants. This film introduced the audience to the Mozart of Chennai, A.R. Rahman.
6. Bombay (1995, Tamil)
Genre- Drama.
In the face of strident opposition, Shekhar (Arvind Swamy) marries Shaila Bano (Manisha Koirala). Husband and wife leave their village for Bombay, in the hope of a happy future in the most cosmopolitan city. Unfortunately, Hindus and Muslims begin to lunge at each other’s throats. Their twin boys go missing during the riots and an arduous search begins. It is the second in Ratnam’s trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja and Dil Se.
7. Dil Se (1998, Hindi)
Genre- Romance, War, Thriller.
Set in the backdrop of insurgency in Northeast India, Dil Se revolves around Amar (Shah Rukh Khan), an All-India radio journalist who eventually falls in love with a mysterious woman (Manisha Koirala) whose beauty intrigues him. It is considered to be one of the best albums ever composed by A.R. Rahman.
8. Geethanjali (1989, Telugu)
Genre- Romance.
Prakash (Nagarjuna) leaves home, seeking solitude in Ooty, when he realizes that he doesn’t have long to live. His gloom, there, is dispelled by Geethanjali (Girija), a spirited local who appears to embody the very essence of life. And then, just when he falls in love, just when he begins to live again, he’s told that her days are numbered too.
9. Mouna Raagam (1986, Tamil)
Genre- Romance, Drama.
The film revolves around a playful, poignant woman named Divya Chandramouli (Revathi) succumbs to family pressure and forces herself to agree to an arranged marriage with Chandrakumar (Mohan). Whereas, her heart is sinking with grief, as she mourns the death of her former lover Manohar (Karthik), she refuses to come to terms with her reality. The tale follows conflicts in inner struggles of a couple who are stuck between the past and the present.
10. Alaipayuthey (2000, Tamil)
Genre- Romance, Drama.
The film explores the stressful struggles of married life and intricate elements like understanding, mutual respect and trust. The film is a set in a middle- class household, showcasing suburban trains, and railway quarters in the heart of Chennai. The story revolves around Karthik (Madhavan) and Shakthi (Shalini) who fall in love and marry against the wishes of their parents. The score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman and also, marks Madhavan’s debut in the film industry.
11. O Kadhal Kanmani (2015, Tamil)
Genre- Romance, Drama
The film focuses on the commitment phobia among the Indian youth today and their belief in live-in relationships. It is narrated in the form of two parallel narratives, one of Adi (Dulquer Salman), who is a game developer, and Tara (Nithya Menon), an architect, two young career oriented people falling in love and another of an old couple (Prakash Raj and Leela Samson), who portray the value of a strong, everlasting bond in a marriage. Shot in the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai, the film is a visual treat- thanks to P. C. Sreeram and Rahman adds to the playfulness with his soulful compositions.
Mani Ratnam chooses his technicians wisely and lets the story take him on a beautiful journey. He is prepared to go where the film is going and do all that is required. Some of the best cinematic acting performances can be seen in his films and also, his innovative and creative ability to visualize music is something to look out for. Most strikingly, his films portray the society as it is and how it works. That is probably one of the reasons that each of his films is one of their own kinds, because the common people can always relate his stories to them. There is always a connection between the real and reel life. That is the reason that they still live.
Filmy Kadhai 