Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar – Reasons to revisit the Mohanlal-Aishwarya Rai-Prakash Raj starrer on OTT

Mani Ratnam, the veteran filmmaker is celebrating his 68th birthday today (June 2, 2024). The legend, who made his directorial debut in 1983 with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi, is currently busy with the shooting of his next project, Thug Life. Even though Mani Ratnam has directed 28 films so far, the 1997-released epic political drama Iruvar remains special in many ways. The film, which is loosely based on the lives of the three legendary figures of Tamil Nadu – MG Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi, and J Jayalalithaa, was a major commercial failure at the time of its release but eventually earned cult classic status.

Reasons to revisit Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar on Aha Tamil and OTTplay Premium

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The adaptation of an iconic real-life friendship, romance, and rivalry

Mani Ratnam successfully adapted the iconic real-life friendship and eventual rivarly between the legendary duo, MGR and M Karunanidhi (Anandan and Tamizhselvan in the film), in Iruvar. Even though the story is loosely based on the lives of the legends, the writer-director skillfully tweaked it to fit into the feature film space, in the most dignified manner.

Mohanlal and Prakash Raj as Anandan and Tamizhselvan

The legendary Malayalam actor delivered one of the finest performances of his acting career, in Iruvar. Mohanlal reminded us of the legendary MGR in every frame he appeared, while still adding his touch to the performance. Prakash Raj, on the other hand, impressed the cine-goers with his portrayal of the extremely layered character to near perfection. The electrifying camaraderie shared by the duo made Iruvar an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Also Read: Best Mani Ratnam movies to stream on Aha Tamil - Iruvar, Bombay, and more

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and the supporting cast

The former Miss World made her acting debut with Iruvar. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played a double role in the film as Anandan’s deceased wife Pushpavallli, and budding actress Kalpana (inspired by J Jayalalithaa), to near perfection. The epic political drama featured a stellar star cast including Revathi, Gauthami, Tabu, Nassar, Kaka Radhakrishnan, Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, Kalpana Iyer, SN Lakshmi, and many others in the supporting roles.

Also Read: 41 years of Mani Ratnam – How the Ponniyin Selvan director reinvented himself and stayed relevant all through these years

Music by AR Rahman

For the Tamil cinema music lovers who grew up in the late 1990s, Iruvar is one of those music albums that never left their playlists. AR Rahman and Mani Ratnam teamed yet again to create magic on silver screens with extraordinary songs and unparalleled background scores for the epic political drama, which to date, remains iconic.

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