Mani Ratnam, who is known to be one of the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema, is celebrating his 65th birthday today, 2 June. He made his directorial debut with the south film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983) that featured Anil Kapoor, Lakshmi, and Kiran Vairale in the lead roles.
The Padma Shree recipient is famous for his craft and the exploration of socio-political themes in the movies. He rose to fame after films like Bombay, Nayakan, Roja, Dil Se, and many more. To date, he has made about 40 films and is working on his upcoming web series titled Navarasa.
On his birthday, here’s a list of some of his highly acclaimed films and where you can watch them:
Dil Se
This movie was set against the backdrop of the insurgency in Northeast India. The story revolves around a radio broadcaster's intense attraction in the turmoil of politics. The movie focuses on strong emotions like attraction, infatuation, love, reverence, worship, obsession, and death. The film features Shahrukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, while Preity Zinta made her debut in a supporting role.
The movie is available on the streaming platform Netflix.
Yuva
This film was one of the greatest political-drama thrillers of the 2000s in Hindi cinema. The story revolves around how an accident on a bridge in Kolkata brings three young men together from different social classes and backgrounds. From there, the movie sparks a course of events that will forever alter their lives. The film features Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi, and Abhishek Bachchan with many more.
This movie is available on the streaming platform Netflix.
Roja
This was one of the films for which Mani Ratnam’s work was appreciated internationally. The movie revolves around a young girl leading a simple life who ends up getting married to a sophisticated city dweller. After they move to Kashmir, the husband gets kidnapped by terrorists. The movie focuses on how the desperate wife makes her way out in finding her husband back. This movie is an International and National Award-winning film. AR Rahman debuted as a film composer with Roja that won him the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. This movie is available on the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video.
O Kadhal Kanmani aka OK Kanmani
It is a heart-warming modern-age love story where two individuals don’t believe in marriage and start living together. However, the young couple’s emotions are not easily managed after they witness the unconditional love of the older couple with whom they live. The film features Dulquer Salmaan, Nithya Menen, Prakash Raj, Leela Samson. This movie is available on both streaming platforms Disney Hotstar and Amazon Prime.
Anjali
It was one of the best children's films that were made in the 90s. The makers of the movie handled the subject with delicacy where it showed the apathy of a family with a special child. The story focuses on the outlook of the family and society around the child. The movie starred Raghuvaran, Revathi, Master Tarun, Baby Shamili, and Prabhu in the lead. If you ever want to watch the 1990 Hindi drama film, then you can catch it on ZEE5.
source https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/on-mani-ratnams-birthday-where-to-stream-filmmakers-must-watch-movies-from-roja-to-anjali-9677821.html
