Mani Ratnam’s films.

Mani Ratnam’s films.

Mani Ratnam had created a separate identity for himself as a director in his films. His film Roja stormed bollywood in the early 1990s. Both the leading performers Arvind Swamy and Madhu were very impressive in the film.

Arvind Swamy was given an assignment in Kashmir after he married Madhu. He was kidnapped by Pankaj Kapoor and his men so that they could create pressure on the government to release the terrorist leader. Pankaj Kapoor explained to Arvind Swamy the reasons for their hostility towards the Indian Government.

Madhu left no stones unturned to compel the government to release the terrorist leader at the cost of Arvind Swamy. The music composed by AR Rehman was brilliant by every standard. The songs “roja janeman”, “rukmini rukmini”, “dil hai chota sa”, were extremely successful. The film had impressed every section of the society and had been a landmark in Indian films.

His other film Bombay was also impressive. The actors Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala did very well in their respective roles. They belonged to separate religions and married each other and settled in Bombay. Their inlaws who did not approve the marriage at the beginning were moulded within passage of time.

But riot broke at that place and Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala lost their relatives in the struggle. The music of the film was great including the landmark song sung by Hariharan titled “tuhi re”. Mani Ratnam had translated the story in the Indian context very well.

The other film Dil Se also addressed the viewers of India about the unrest of North-eastern part of India. Shahrukh Khan had an affair with Manisha Koirala and came to know about their operation. Shahrukh Khan married Preeti Zinta but when he came to know about Manisha’s intention of being involved in suicide-squad, he sacrificed his life to stop the operation. The films of Mani Ratnam are known for strong casting, powerful music and good script. He is expected to continue his good work in future.