Mani Ratnam and the many shades of romance in his filmography

Mani Ratnam has his own style which is realistic and reaches for that idealistic and romantic feeling too!

Romance and cinema have walked hand in hand since the beginning of time but there were patterns and stereotypes attached to how romance had always been represented. The lead actors were dancing around the trees, singing to each other in open fields and in the rain. Back then romance was supposed to be melodramatic, idealistic, above the surface expressive, and without any real struggle. But Mani Ratnam, with his movies, changed the narrative of romance. The romance he depicted was set in reality and was riddled with very real emotions. If there were highs there were lows too and the struggle was felt. You could find yourselves within his fictional characters, that's Mani Ratman's legacy!

He's a filmmaker and a thespian storyteller who knows how to weave a story to bind the audience in its rapture. His passion for storytelling combined with finding unique new ways of telling the narrative and exceptional music which has its own language adds magic to even the most simplistic and minimalist stories. And while his other projects like Nayagan, Thalapathi, Anjali, Iruvar, Yuva, and Guru are highly acclaimed works and some even feature romance as a part of them, it's Mani Ratnam and the many facets of love that he deconstructed so beautifully that interests and intrigues us the most. Because there is no one who portrayed love the way he did!

Pallavi Anupallavi

Ratnam's directorial debut, a 1983 Tamil film that stars Anil Kapoor, Lakshmi, and Kiran Vairale told the complicated story of a man who falls in love with an older woman and finds his true self and his desires through the experience. 

Mouna Ragam

A 1986 film starring Revathi, Karthik, and Mohan was a breakthrough film that follows the story of love, belongingness, and self-discovery. The story deals with Divya's inner conflict between holding onto her past and coming to terms with her present which is making a life with her husband while mourning the death of her lover. Ratnam also received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for this.

Roja

One of the epic love stories to come out of Ratnam's filmography, set in the backdrop of the complicated matter of 'Free Kashmir', the film tells the story of an innocent girl who turns the world upside down in order to release her husband from terrorists. This film also made Ratnam step into the genre of love stories set in the backdrop of Indian politics. He won three National Film Awards for this.

Bombay

Love and Indian politics became his favorite genre which gave birth to this classic starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala. Touching upon love and human relationships, the film is set against the backdrop of communal riots, and the music by AR Rahaman is still very popular and is considered one of his best works. It's also regarded as one of the most acclaimed Tamil films.

Dil Se

After the immense acclaim of Roja and Bombay which turned Ratnam into a Pan-Indian star, there was no stopping him. Dil Se starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala is considered to be the most soulful film that flows like poetry. Set in the backdrop of insurgency in Northeast India, it's said to be a journey through the 7 shades of love - attraction, infatuation, love, reverence, worship, obsession, and death, as defined in ancient Arabic literature. And Shahrukh's character passes through each shade during the course of the film. The music of this film is highly accredited too and even its choreography tells a story.

Alaipayuthey

This film explores the intricacies and tension of married life and mature love and stars R. Madhavan and Shalini in the lead. Ratnam steps into the world of a realistic and young generation romance and nails it as this film is beloved by the youth. The story follows Karthik and Shakthi, who fall in love and get married against the will of their parents, and later start to experience the challenges of maintaining that bond. Its Hindi adaptation Saathiya didn't quite create the stir this did but its songs still belongs a special place in people's playlist to date.

O Kadhal Kanmani

Divulging further into the complicated love stories of the newer generation, Ratnam very experimentally captures the pulse with this one. It's a take on modern-day relationships and how the younger generation tries to balance out their ambitions and desires. Starring Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen in the lead roles, this movie portrays a young couple in a live-in relationship navigating through Mumbai. It makes for a breezy yet realistic watch that speaks to you. Its Hindi adaptation, Ok Jaanu didn't work but its music album definitely did!

These are some of the romantic masterpieces that Ratnam's filmography has to offer. These films depict the romance in its purest and truest form with all its shades and are set in the world of reality. There are more of his recent projects like Cheliya but these gems depict the filmmaker's understanding of love at another level.

Which one of these Mani Ratnam works is your favorite? Do tell us in the comments below!

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