Happy Birthday Mani Ratnam: 'Nayakan' to 'O Kadhal Kanmani', five masterpieces of the ace filmmaker

Mani Ratnam is one of the greatest directors in the Indian film industry, and he has proved it with his classic films. The legendary director has made films in different genres in his career, out of which he has excelled at romantic and gangster dramas. Mani Ratnam has won a separate fan base with his impressive filmography, and he has a huge love for his audience as well. Mani Ratnam celebrates his 64th birthday today and the social media is flooded with wishes for the director. On this special day, we take a look at five masterpieces of the ace filmmaker from ‘Nayakan’ to ‘O Kadhal Kanmani’.

'Nayakan' features Kamal Haasan in the lead role, and the film is about Velu Nayakan. After witnessing the brutal murder of his father, he escapes to Mumbai, killing a corrupt policeman, only to become a gangster. The gangster drama was critically acclaimed, and it did phenomenal business at the box office. Kamal Haasan bagged the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film, and also 'Nayakan' was India’s official entry to Oscars in the year 1988.

'Thalapathi' portrays a tale of friendship, rivalry, and brotherhood, and it features Rajinikanth, Mammooty, and Aravind Swami in the main roles. This is one of the classic hits of the director, and it still receives praise from the audience. Mani Ratnam won the Filmfare Award for Best Director, while Ilayaraja won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. Also, this was the last film, which Mani Ratnam and Ilayaraja worked together in.

'Roja' represents human relationships and terrorism, and it was highly praised by the audience. The patriotic love story features Aravind Swamy and Madhoo in lead roles, and it grossed high numbers at the box office. Also, the film marked the debut of popular composer AR Rahman, and he won the National Award for his marvellous music which had a mix of love and patriotism.

The romantic drama 'Bombay' deals with the love between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl. Aravind Swamy and Manisha Koirala played the lead roles, and their love worked very well on the big screens. This directorial of Mani Ratnam attracted several controversies since it was around the time of the demolition of Babri Masjid. Also, 'Bombay' was ranked among the top 20 Indian films in the British Film Institute's rankings.

Mani Ratnam made this film according to the then latest trend in cities of couples living-in together before marriage. Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen played the lead roles, and the film is about their live-in relationship and emotions. The modern love story was well received by the audience, and it became one of the high grossing films of the year 2015. It was director Mani Ratnam's best in recent times, and it was highly celebrated by younger generation couples.