Film director, screen writer and producer Mani Ratnam, has predominantly worked in Tamil cinema and is a highly respected filmmaker in the cinematic world.   Each of his films contains its own unique style, with beautifully photographed songs and unique back-lighting. However, his films contain substance as well as style. Mani Ratnam has dealt with a wide variety of topics, from the classic Indian love story to political thrillers. This week Factrichi 100 Varsh recalls his much acclaimed films, tune in on Sunday 25th November 2012 at 1:30 pm and 9:30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.

Born in Madras in 1956, his father was a film producer under the banner — ‘Venus Productions’. Ironically, he studied management and obtained a degree before entering films. Unlike many film-makers, Ratnam neither assisted in film-making nor worked as a cinematographer before making a name for himself in the industry. He made his directorial debut in 1983 with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi, which starred Anil Kapoor. In 1987, Ratnam directed Nayagan starring Kamal Haasan, and the film became a huge success and brought him recognition at the national level. This was foolowed by great films such as Agni Natchathiram (1988), Gitanjali (1989), and Anjali (1990). Ratnam is also known for his "Terrorism trilogy" consisting of Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se.. (1998).

In 2002 Mani Ratnam was honored with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award given by the Government of India. Ratnam has won several film awards, including six National Film Awards. In addition to these, he is a recipient of a number of awards at various International film festivals. Ratnam is widely credited with having revolutionized the Tamil film industry and altering the profile of Indian cinema.

 

To know about his cinema and the magic he created with his work, tune in to Factrichi 100 Varsh on Sunday 25th November 2012 at 1:30 pm and 9:30 pm only on IBN-Lokmat.