Happy birthday Mani Ratnam: Lights, camera, music

Everything that has to be said and written about Mani Ratnam has been said and written. And, one thing the Covid-induced lockdown has given us is plenty of time to catch up with songs that we missed or to go back to an old favourite, once again.

Mani Ratnam has been making movies since 1983, yet every time he makes a film, he says he goes back to square one. He had no formal training when he made his first film. There were no directors to mentor him. “I had no idea how to make a movie,” he had said once, in an interview.

Interestingly, he says the same thing even today; that he struggles. Mani Ratnam says the thrill is to find something when he doesn’t know what he is looking for, and according to him, that is the most enjoyable part of making movies.

Even though he earned rave reviews for his several movies, the director does not revisit them. “After watching five minutes of say, Roja or Dil Se, I am scared I will find mistakes,” he once said, on a lighter note, in a conversation with IANS.

Mani Ratnam doesn't revisit his film, yes, but on Mani Ratnam's birthday, OTTplay wants you to revisit these songs from his films listed below, in no specific order:

Idhayam Oru Kovil, (Idhaya Kovil):

Mandram Vandha, (Mouna Ragam):

Nee Oru Kadhal Sangeetham, (Nayakan):

Raaja Raajathi, (Agni Natchathiram):

Oh, Priya, (Geetanjali):

Anjali Anjali, (Anjali):

Kaadhal Rojave, (Roja):

Kaatukuyilu, (Thalapathi):

Chandralekha, (Thiruda Thiruda):

Hamma Hamma, (Bombay):

Thaiyya Thaiyya, (Dil Se):

Kaadhal Sadugudu, (Alaipayudhe):

Kannathil Muthamittal, (Kannathil Muthamittal):

Jana Gana Mana, (Aayutha Ezhuthu):

Aaruyire, (Guru):

Kalvare, (Raavanan):

Nenjukulla, (Kadal):

Mental Manadhil, (OK Kanmani):

Saarattu Vandiyile, (Kaatru Veliyidai):

Sevandhu Pochu Nenju, (Chekka Chivandha Vaanam):

We can’t wait to see what Mani Ratnam has in store for us, with Ponniyin Selvan! The much-awaited magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan, part one, will hit screens on September 30 this year.

The film has Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Vikram Prabhu, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Prabhu, Jayaram, Prakash Raj, Lal, Sarath Kumar, and Ashwin Kakamanu, among others.

Based on the best-selling novel by Kalki, Ponniyin Selvan, has a screenplay by Jeyamohan, Kumaravel and Mani Ratnam himself.

Bankrolled by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, Mani Ratnam has collaborated once more with the ace composer AR Rahman.