<p>Mani Ratnam is arguably one of the finest directors in the film industry and enjoys a strong fan following due to his realistic-yet-commercially-viable brand of storytelling. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry -- from Rajinikanth to Shah Rukh Khan -- and proved his mettle. On Wednesday, as 'Mani Sir' turns a year older, here is a look at five films that bear testimony to his talent.</p>.<p><strong>Thalapathi (1991)</strong></p>.<p>The cult classic was a modern retelling of the friendship between the mythological characters Karna and Duryodhana, which hit the right notes with its effective presentation. The chemistry between Rajinikanth and Malayalam legend Mammootty was one of the highlights of the film. <em>Thalapathi </em>featured <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/birthday-special-5-awesome-facts-about-ilaiyaraaja-992790.html" target="_blank">classic Ilaiyaraaja compositions</a> <em>Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu</em> and <em>Kaattukuyilu</em>.</p>.<p><strong>Roja (1992)</strong></p>.<p><em>Roja</em>, which marked the beginning of the ace filmmaker's iconic terrorism trilogy, revolved around the protagonist's attempts at reuniting with her husband after he is abducted during a secret mission in Kashmir. The film emerged as a big hit, establishing Arvind Swami as a force to be reckoned with. It was dubbed in Hindi and Telugu as well.</p>.<p><strong>Bombay (1995)</strong></p>.<p><em>Bombay </em>was a hard-hitting drama that revolved around the impact of the Bombay riots on an inter-religious family. It received huge acclaim for its mature dealing of such a sensitive issue. The cast was headlined by Arvind Swami and Manisha Koirala.<br /><br /><strong>Iruvar (1997)</strong></p>.<p>The Tamil classic highlighted the link between politics and cinema in Tamil Nadu and garnered a fair deal of attention due to its striking similarity with real-life events. It had a stellar cast headlined by Mohanlal and Prakash Raj. Lalettan's Anandan was based on MGR, while the <em>Singham </em>baddie's character was modelled on M Karunanidhi. It earned rave reviews due to its dramatic intensity and grand scale.<br /><br /><strong>Dil Se (1998)</strong></p>.<p><em>Dil Se</em> was the final part of the terrorism triology and marked Mani Ratnam's first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. The film explored the seven shades of love while touching upon the sensitive issue of 'suicide bombing'. It emerged as a huge success nationally, as well as in the overseas market.</p>.<p><strong>Honourable mentions: </strong><em>Anjali</em>, <em>Mouna Ragam</em>, <em>Nayakan</em>, <em>Guru</em>, <em>Raavanan </em>and <em>Alaipayuthey</em></p>
<p>Mani Ratnam is arguably one of the finest directors in the film industry and enjoys a strong fan following due to his realistic-yet-commercially-viable brand of storytelling. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry -- from Rajinikanth to Shah Rukh Khan -- and proved his mettle. On Wednesday, as 'Mani Sir' turns a year older, here is a look at five films that bear testimony to his talent.</p>.<p><strong>Thalapathi (1991)</strong></p>.<p>The cult classic was a modern retelling of the friendship between the mythological characters Karna and Duryodhana, which hit the right notes with its effective presentation. The chemistry between Rajinikanth and Malayalam legend Mammootty was one of the highlights of the film. <em>Thalapathi </em>featured <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/birthday-special-5-awesome-facts-about-ilaiyaraaja-992790.html" target="_blank">classic Ilaiyaraaja compositions</a> <em>Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu</em> and <em>Kaattukuyilu</em>.</p>.<p><strong>Roja (1992)</strong></p>.<p><em>Roja</em>, which marked the beginning of the ace filmmaker's iconic terrorism trilogy, revolved around the protagonist's attempts at reuniting with her husband after he is abducted during a secret mission in Kashmir. The film emerged as a big hit, establishing Arvind Swami as a force to be reckoned with. It was dubbed in Hindi and Telugu as well.</p>.<p><strong>Bombay (1995)</strong></p>.<p><em>Bombay </em>was a hard-hitting drama that revolved around the impact of the Bombay riots on an inter-religious family. It received huge acclaim for its mature dealing of such a sensitive issue. The cast was headlined by Arvind Swami and Manisha Koirala.<br /><br /><strong>Iruvar (1997)</strong></p>.<p>The Tamil classic highlighted the link between politics and cinema in Tamil Nadu and garnered a fair deal of attention due to its striking similarity with real-life events. It had a stellar cast headlined by Mohanlal and Prakash Raj. Lalettan's Anandan was based on MGR, while the <em>Singham </em>baddie's character was modelled on M Karunanidhi. It earned rave reviews due to its dramatic intensity and grand scale.<br /><br /><strong>Dil Se (1998)</strong></p>.<p><em>Dil Se</em> was the final part of the terrorism triology and marked Mani Ratnam's first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. The film explored the seven shades of love while touching upon the sensitive issue of 'suicide bombing'. It emerged as a huge success nationally, as well as in the overseas market.</p>.<p><strong>Honourable mentions: </strong><em>Anjali</em>, <em>Mouna Ragam</em>, <em>Nayakan</em>, <em>Guru</em>, <em>Raavanan </em>and <em>Alaipayuthey</em></p>
