Mani Ratnam

Director

June 2, 1956 (70 years)

Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Biography

The man who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema, Mani Ratnam is the biggest director in South India and one of the most respected directors in all of India. Each of his films contains its own unique style, with beautifully photographed songs and unique back-lighting, and deal with a wide variety of topics, from the classic Indian love story to political thrillers.

Filmography

6.9

Dil Se..

Journalist Amar falls for a mysterious woman on an assignment, but she does not reciprocate his feelings. However, when Amar is about to get married, the woman shows up at his doorstep asking for help.

6.9

Guru

A villager, Gurukant Desai, arrives in Bombay in 1958, and rises from its streets to become the biggest tycoon in India.

5.1

Thug Life

In a world ruled by crime and betrayal, mafia kingpin Sakthivel and his brother Manikkam rescue a young boy, Amaran, during a violent police shootout and raise him as their own. Years later, when an assassination attempt shakes Sakthivel's empire, suspicion turns inward. Consumed by vengeance, Sakthivel sets out to destroy the very family he once built.

7.2

Bombay

A Hindu man and a Muslim woman fall in love in a small village and move to Mumbai, where they have two children. However, growing religious tensions and erupting riots threaten to tear the family apart.

7.0

Roja

Roja, a simple girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, makes desperate efforts to find her husband, Rishi, after he is kidnapped by militants during a secret undercover mission in Kashmir.

6.2

Ponniyin Selvan: Part II

968 AD. The Pandyan assassins gather once again to destroy the Chola dynasty. Now the mighty Chola princes must fight the Pandyas, the Rashtrakutas and other Chola enemies who have joined forces. Also, at play are the rumours of Ponniyin Selvan’s death at sea, the powerful Pazhuvettarayar’s betrayal, and the tragic destiny of Aditha Karikalan, whose heart was long lost to the vengeful Nandini.

7.1

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I

The Chola kingdom is under threat from forces both internal and external, and with crown prince Aaditha Karikalan, his younger brother Arunmozhi Varman and the emperor, Sundara Cholar separated by situations, it is up to a messenger to ensure the safety of the kingdom. Can he succeed in his mission, especially with Karikalan's former girlfriend, Nandhini, plotting to bring down the entire Chola empire?

7.9

Nayakan

Velu Naicker, who witnesses the brutal murder of his father, kills a corrupt policeman and escapes to Mumbai, only to become a gangster.

7.0

O Kadhal Kanmani

Aadi and Tara fall in love but both hate the idea of marriage and plan to separate when their lives take them to different countries. However, as they grow closer, their emotions are not easily managed.

7.6

Kannathil Muthamittal

A little girl is told by her parents that she is adopted. Determined to find her birth mother, her family eventually agrees to take her to Sri Lanka, where they encounter the militant group known as the Tamil Tigers.

7.4

Alaipayuthey

Karthik and Shakthi marry against the wishes of their families and start their new life. However, they soon realize that marriage is not the bed of roses they had imagined it would be.

6.9

Raavanan

After inspector Dev stirs the reign of Veeraiya, a tribal outlaw, the latter responds by kidnapping his wife, Ragini. While she tries to escape from him, Dev fights many resistances to find her.

6.5

Yuva

An accident on a bridge ties together three young men from different social classes, sparking a course of events that will forever alter their lives.

7.5

Iruvar

A fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi, continuing the tryst between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics.

7.2

Anjali

After a few years, Chitra learns that her child, who was believed to be dead, is alive but is suffering from a mental illness. However, her family faces many challenges while looking after her child.

4.8

Raavan

A bandit leader kidnaps the wife of the policeman who killed his sister, but later falls in love with her.

8.0

Thalapathi

Surya, a courageous man who was raised in the slums, fights for the rights of the poor and befriends Deva, who hires him as his commander and changes his life completely.

7.0

Agni Natchathiram

Two step sons of an honest noble man choose different professions. One becomes a police office and the other turns into a goon. The rest of the film revolves around how the two confront each other.

7.3

Thiruda Thiruda

An Inspector is assigned to track down a large sum of stolen money. His investigations lead him to a couple of small time crooks, a village belle, a murder, an absconding suspect, and an international drug dealer.

6.5

Chekka Chivantha Vaanam

A bloody power struggle erupts between three brothers who are vying to take over the family business following the death of their father.