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28th March 2005, 10:27 PM
#1
Senior Member
Regular Hubber
Films of Mani Ratnam
just found it strange that in this entire section on tamil films, no one seems to be talking about one of tamil cinema's favourite sons! hopefully, this thread will fill the gap - so here goes: this discussion is dedicated to one of the greatest filmmakers of our time - his films, their pluses & minuses, the music, the acting, background score, cinematography, editing, whatever ... from "Pagal Nilavu" (or was it "Pallavi Anupallavi") to "Aayitha Ezhuthu" ... if you've got something to say about mani, say it here!
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28th March 2005 10:27 PM
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28th March 2005, 10:31 PM
#2
Senior Member
Regular Hubber
just so we have a starting point, let's begin with a ranking of the best mani ratnam films. here's my list -
1. Nayagan
2. Iruvar
3. Agni Natchathiram
4. Mouna Ragam
5. Dalapathi
6. Kannathil Mutthamittal
7. Roja
8. Thiruda Thiruda
9. Ayudha Ezhuthu
10. Anjali
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29th March 2005, 01:50 AM
#3
Moderator
Platinum Hubber
Originally Posted by
ramsri
just so we have a starting point, let's begin with a ranking of the best mani ratnam films. here's my list -
1. Nayagan ......................................9/10
2. Iruvar ....................................8//10
3. Agni Natchathiram........................5/10
4. Mouna Ragam............................. 6/10
5. Dalapathi........................................6 .5/10
6. Kannathil Mutthamittal.................7/10
7. Roja.............................................. ....8/10
8. Thiruda Thiruda.............................6/10
9. Ayudha Ezhuthu...........................3.5/10
10. Anjali............................................ 6.5/10
Dil Se ................ 7.5/10
Bombay..............4/10
Pagal Nilavu.......1.5/10
What else !
மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே
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29th March 2005, 01:58 AM
#4
Junior Member
Admin HubberNewbie HubberTeam HubberModerator HubberPro Hubber
Recently my most favorite film of his is ALAI PAYUTHEY! Everything about that film was spectacular!
Nothing astonishes men so much as common sense and plain dealing.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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29th March 2005, 02:32 AM
#5
Junior Member
Admin HubberNewbie HubberTeam HubberModerator HubberPro Hubber
I think Maniratnam made the following movies (in chronological order.. correct me wherever needed)
1. Pallavi Anu Pallavi (Kanada)
2. Pagal Kanavu
3. Idaiya Thamarai
4. Mouna Ragam
5. Geethanjali (Telugu) or Idaiyathai Tirudathe
6. Nayagan
7. Agni Nakshatiram
8. Anjali
9. Thalapathi
10. Roja
11. Tiruda Tiruda
12. Bombay
13. Dil Se (Hindi)
14. Iruvar
15. Alai Payudey
16. Kanathil Muthamitaal
17. Ayuda Ezhuthu or Yuva(Hindi)
Top five:
1. Roja
2. Nayagan
3. Mouna Ragam
4. Kanathil Muthamital
5. Anjali
Worst five:
1. Dil Se
2. Tiruda Tiruda
3. Iruvar
4. Alai Payudey
Bottomline:
Regardless of the number of hits he gave, Maniratnam is & will be one of the best alltime filmmakers from India. He was instrumental in showing a new approach to film making, and most of current day's films have some kind of benchmark reference to a MR film, it could be from characterization, cinematography, art direction, casting or even delivery style.
IMO, definitely deserves a Dada Saheb Phalke sooner or later...personally he is one director, whose film i am ready to watch with a lot of expectation and many a time he exceeds it.
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29th March 2005, 08:43 AM
#6
Senior Member
Diamond Hubber
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29th March 2005, 05:55 PM
#7
Moderator
Platinum Hubber
I don't think Mani Ratnam directed Idhaya Thaamarai.
The lean mean no-nonsense story teller of Mouna Raagam,Naayagan and Anjali, and the visual experimenter of Agni Natchatram has slowly become afflicted with an mid-life disease called social responsibility.
Roja was good but Bombay ! The racy love story of the first half was ruined by the naivete of the second half.Same's the case with Aayudha Ezhuththu. Dil Se was a welcome relief as the love story dominated the terrorism stuff. There are parts of Kannathhil (eg. Prakash Raj's mini-lecture) that are so academic that they nearly compensate for the Simran-Keerthana performances. Hope he's over terrorism. I'd hate to hear his next film is about a lone man finding love amid the Bosnia-Herzegovina strife.
MR is good I say, we can't afford him becoming unidimensional.
In fact , the life-lesson learning is not restricted to 'social issues' alone. MR is one of my favourite romantic writers (Mouna Raagam,Geethanjali) but the second half of Alaipaayudhey was naked in its learning-the-ropes-of-a-marriage. In removal of doubts he rounds it off with a soliloqui from Madhavan.
Iruvar was a class act. Almost up there with Naayagan. Thiruda Thiruda is very underrated. I heard that the script was Ram Gopal Verma's. Informed Hubbers confirm.Damn good film. I don't think we've had such good capers in Indian Cinema.
I bought a first day first show ticket to Aayitha Ezhuththu and was sorely disappointed (save Madhavan and Barathiraja, of course). But again that was because I went with huge expectations. Needless to say, he's among the all-time best, so AE won't discourage me. I'll be advance booking next time too !
மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே
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29th March 2005, 06:09 PM
#8
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
Prabhu,You are right,Thiruda Thiruda was a collabaration of Mani&Ramgopal varma as far as the script was concerned.A very underrated film,it was a huge hit here in Bangalore.I saw it 5 times at "Urvashi'theatre.I have seen all his films except the mal film with Mohanlal,&the Mohan-Ambika-Radha film in Tamil.His first film in Kannada: Pallavi-Anupallavi was damn good.I remember seeing it in the now defunct Shanti theatre near Southend here as a kid&feeling very sad for Anil Kapoor in the climax.Bombay is his worst film according to me,had a horrible climax,very utopian&unbelievable.Among his recent films Dil se was so-so,Alaipayuthe good,Kannathil very very good&AE was good,don't know why a lot of people didn't like it.Now,I would want him to do a film without the baggage of social responsibility,something like Thiruda Thiruda.
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29th March 2005, 06:12 PM
#9
Moderator
Platinum Hubber
mal film with Mohanlal,&the Mohan-Ambika-Radha film
The Mohan-Ambika-Radha film you are talking about is Kovil Pura (I think so). Don't bother.I think he only directed it, didn't write it.
I didn't know he made a Malayalam film !
மூவா? முதல்வா! இனியெம்மைச் சோரேலே
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29th March 2005, 06:27 PM
#10
Senior Member
Seasoned Hubber
Originally Posted by
Prabhu Ram
mal film with Mohanlal,&the Mohan-Ambika-Radha film
The Mohan-Ambika-Radha film you are talking about is Kovil Pura (I think so). Don't bother.I think he only directed it, didn't write it.
I didn't know he made a Malayalam film !
Not Kovil Pura,I think it was called Idaya Kovil.The mal film was called 'Unnaru'-not very sure i got it right.It had IR's music(no surprises)&came right after his debut.Was also dubbed into Tamil some years back,don't know what they called it.
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