Value For ‘Mani’
Mani Ratnam Revisited

By Vishal Oberoi

Raindrops fall into the glass teacup of a disillusioned Shah Rukh Khan, as he stands on the railway platform watching a shawl-sheltered Manisha board a train to disappearance. The wickedly cold, blustery weather congeals a moment that will initiate a tale of love and crossfire. A moment captured on film. A moment from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se.

Mani Ratnam. A name that needs no introduction. This 1955-born management consultant from Madras ‘managed’ to stir the country’s attention as he steered Indian cinema towards new horizons with his succinct and crisp movies. He was recently in Dubai, and during the course of a debate which weighed the contribution of a director to a film, vis-à-vis the star cast, he strongly supported the role of a director. His standpoint is justified when one watches his avant garde masterpieces, and beholds the charisma of his camera work. Every frame of his film is a visual delicacy, something which cannot be completely assimilated by the senses even after its passing, but it leaves its distinctive flavour in the eyes. His unorthodox (albeit symphonic) artistry in the cinematic realm violates every concept of tonal, focal and color continuity which film makers have made conventional over the years.

A sharp influence of the West on his films is evident. Glimpses from Scorcese’s ‘The Godfather’ (1972) could be seen in Mani’s ‘Nayakan’ (1987), where he meticulously recreated the slums of Dharavi for a more authentic look. One can even cite the ‘ET’-like “bicycles across the sky” dream sequence in ‘Anjali’ (1990). However that would be being hypercritical, since Mani Ratnam’s films have a characteristic integrity of their own, which can be solely associated with his works. ‘Geetanjali’ (1989) was poetry to the eyes, as he dealt with the sensitive story of two lovers who have only six months to live, set to the dreamy locales of Ooty.  Around the time-worn texture of a tale where a girl loses the man she loves, and seeks him back, he wove ‘Roja’ (1992) and shaped a ‘patriotic love story’ that the nation can never forget. Romance and riots both shared the limelight, and were key players in his thought-provoking classic, ‘Bombay’ (1995). ‘Iruvar’ (1997) was a political satire, loosely based on the life of M.G.Ramachandran, accompanied by sinuous camerawork and the delightful musical score of A.R.Rehman. Each film, or rather each frame of a Mani Ratnam movie, has something new to offer.

Ostensibly, Mani Ratnam loves to explore territories where others fear to tread. ‘Alai Payuthey’ (2000) could be referred to as an audacious sequel to every conventional love story, because it examined the story of a couple who get married, and then come to realize that marriage is not the ‘walk in the clouds’ that it’s made out to be. The movie featured an eye-caressing dream sequence that takes the viewer on a tour of the world of colour, with the screen exploding with natural palettes and lenswork, as the lyrics flow.

Media-shy by nature, Mani Ratnam projects a unique humility in his films. His films never boast of their merit, and one could hardly expect to find the usual, unnecessary clichés like “running around trees” song & dance routines or astronomical star casts, in them. The subtle approach, the technical brilliance and the genuine creative passion of the director in Mani Ratnam, together evolve to create “reel” magic.

His movies are an experience of their own. He’s come a long way from ‘Mauna Raagam’ (1986) to his latest hit, ‘Kannathil Mutthamitaal’ (2002). He has been called “India’s answer to Spielberg” by his large cult of die-hard fans, which include several members of the ‘MTV’ generation, who have made a fashion statement out of having watched a Mani Ratnam film. According to ‘them’, if you haven’t seen his latest ‘flick’, you’re passé. Without a doubt, Mani is ‘in’, and he’s here to stay.