Mani Ratnam's most iconic Hindi movies over the years: 'Guru', 'Dil Se', and more

Set against the backdrop of Insurgency in Assam, the national award winning movie stars Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in the lead. The film also is Preity Zinta’s onscreen debut as a supporting actress. And who can forget Malaika’s iconic ‘Chaiyaa Chaiyaa’ dance atop the moving train. Shahrukh Khan plays Amarkant Verma, a radio executive sent to report on the condition in Assam. There he meets a mysterious woman Moina (Manisha Koirala) with whom he gradually falls in love. Amar is left heart-broken when he discovers that his lady love is a part of a terrorist group. His constant attempts to shield Moina from going back to the enemies of the state often gets him into trouble. Amar and Moina’s love tale blossoming within the political tensions is one of the emotional high points of the movie. The popular song’Satrangi Re’ by Gulzar perfectly describes the seven stages of love that the couple goes through in the movie. If you want to know what happens to Amar and Moina ultimately, the movie is available on Netflix.

This masterpiece tells the story of Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan), a boy from Sabarkantha, Gujarat who dreams of making it big in the business world. Guru is strategic in his planning, he refuses to be an employee as he wants to build an empire for himself. His personal life decisions are also transactional in nature. Like that of his marriage with Sujata (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) whom he marries only for the dowry she brings. His drive for ambition is what leads him to making ethically wrong choices in business. Like smuggling, illegal manufacturing and even manipulating stock market figures for higher returns. Guru very well understands the loopholes in the system as he is an underdog who gradually rises to power. His street smart nature is well reflected when he skillfully dodges the enquiries set up against him. If you want to see how Guru works his way up and remains on top, the movie is available on Netflix.

This is one of the few Hindi movies that has been written, directed, and produced by Mani Ratnam. The movie shows the contrasting worlds of a privileged prince, Arjun, and an underdog, Lallan. Vivek Oberoi plays Arjun Balchandran, son of an IAS officer, and Abhishek Bachchan is Lallan. Arjun is carefree, whereas Lallan is ambitious. Fate takes a turn when the two cross paths with Michael (Ajay Devgn), who is a student leader at a college. Throughout the movie, the trio is seen navigating through the murky world of underworld mafia and student politics. The contrasting worlds of privilege, activism, and their intersection are carefully scripted by Ratnam, making it a notable watch. This political action thriller is available on Amazon Prime.

The movie addresses the themes of Naxalism, police pressure, and village oppression. Beera (Abhishek Bachchan) is Abhishek Bachchan who is the Naxal lord. Though he is most wanted by the police, he is worshipped by the villagers. Things change when Beera kidnaps IPS officer Dev's (Vikram) wife, Ragini (Aishwarya Bachchan). Ragini develops Stockholm Syndrome towards her abuser during her captivity. She gradually learns the good in Beera, the conventional bad, and the dark side of her husband, who is hailed as righteous. Ragini does the major emotional heavy lifting in the movie. It is her character that questions Beera’s actions and also her husband's infidelity. Whether or not Ragini escapes Beera’s captivity, find out by watching the movie on Jio Hotstar.

This romantic musical drama marks the second collaboration of Shaad Ali and Mani Ratnam after ‘Saathiya’. A remake of Ratnam's Tamil film ‘O Kadhal Kanmani’, the movie has Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead, and Naseeruddin Shah and Leela Samson in the supporting roles. Aditya Roy Kapoor, plays Adi a gamer with high ambitions and Shraddha plays Tara who dreams of becoming an architect. They bond over their condescending views on marriage and gradually end up falling for each other. While they prefer to keep things casual and opt out of marriage, their desire for stability is reflected through nuances in the screen time. Adi and Tara’s transformation from a reckless couple towards wishing to start a family is the movie's most emotionally high watch point. The movie is available on Netflix.