Mani Ratnam's birthday: Here are his best collaborations with AR Rahman

Be it in Hindi, Tamil or Malayalam, films of Mani Ratnam have always set a bar in Indian cinema. The ace director began his career with 1983 Kannada film Pallavi Anupallavi featuring Anil Kapoor. Born on June 2, 1955, Mani Ratnam is known as Salman Rushdie of Indian cinema who has touched all the aspects of movies.

Considered as one of the wonderful filmmakers of all time, Mani Ratnam is celebrating his 65th birthday. And on this occasion, let’s have a look at Mani Ratnam’s best collaboration with AR Rahman.

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Saathiya

Saathiya was released in 2002. The rom-com drama film was directed by Shaad Ali and produced by Mani Ratnam and Yash Chopra. The film featured Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi in lead roles, while Shah Rukh Khan and Tabu appeared in cameo appearances. The soundtrack of the film Saathiya was composed by AR Rahman, while the lyrics were penned by Gulzar. The film was a remake of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey whose plot was reportedly inspired by the 1998 film Sliding Doors. The film was successful at the box office and won six Filmfare Awards.

Guru

Guru is a 2007 drama film directed and co-written by Mani Ratnam. The film features Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, R Madhavan, Vidya Balan, Arya Babbar, and Mithun Chakraborty in pivotal roles. The score and soundtrack for the film were composed by AR Rahman. Many believe that the film was primarily based on the life of one of India’s biggest industrial tycoons, Dhirubhai Ambani. The film was released on January 12, 2007, and was later premièred at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada.

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Bombay

The music of the film Bombay created a revolution of sorts in the '90s. The album achieved the staggering feat of becoming the most significant selling Indian album of all time. Moreover, the soundtrack was also included in the prestigious overseas publication The Guardian’s ‘1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die’.

The plot of the film was based on the controversy surrounding the demolition of Babri Masjid by Hindus. The film was written and directed by Mani Ratnam, featuring Arvind Swami and Manisha Koirala in the lead. The film’s soundtrack earned AR Rahman his fourth consecutive Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil).

Roja

AR Rahman made his composing debut with Roja and delivered seven splendid tracks. The music album is still considered one of Rahman’s best works and was listed in Time magazine’s “10 Best Soundtracks” of all time. Roja was released in 1992, and the romantic thriller film was written and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film featured Arvind Swami and Madhoo in the lead roles. The theme of the film was based on the relationship between Savitri and Satyavan of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata.

Dil Se

Another extraordinary classic made with the collaboration of Mani Ratnam’s mind and AR Rahman’s music was Dil Se. The film traced a love saga of a civilian and a terrorist. The film was the third of Ratnam’s “Terrorism trilogy” which showcased human relationships affected by Indian politics. The film was listed in Time Magazine’s ‘Best of Bollywood’ list and got a special mention for Ratnam at the Berlin International Film Festival. The music album of the film was a smashing hit and has gained a cult status in the audience’s jukebox ever since.

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