Mani Ratnam loves his tropes. And loves to play around with them. One among them is his love for trains, planes, and other vehicles. So, here is a look into this fascination through pictures

Slideshows

Happy Birthday Mani Ratnam: Planes, trains, and automobiles — 20 iconic 'vehicle' shots from his filmography

Team CE

Updated:2nd Jun, 2020 at 1:57 PM

How do you make local trains exotic? How do you beautifully weave a story that crisscrosses like the train tracks? Well... Alaipayuthey

Blood is thicker than water. Or so we thought till Mani Ratnam churned out a movie for the masses. Was that a sell-out or a smart move? What will history judge Chekka Chivantha Vaanam as?

Be it the roads or the skies, the unbridled love story between Leela and VC is just like the film. Flawed but special

When Mani Ratnam met Bollywood for the first time, directly. And his love for trains was showcased in all its wonderful splendour. Shah Rukh and Malaika's presence just added to the finery

One one side, we have an Inter-religion Love story. On the other, one of the worst riots in post-independent India. Well, they met each other in... Bombay

Two people. Love in the air. A Mani Ratnam film. A train just has to be there.

When raging waves brought out raging emotions. When misguided youth brought out questions about faith. What is good, what is bad? Well... can say the same about Kadal too

We knew whose stories were told in Iruvar. We knew everything about them. But, often, it is not about the destination, but the journey.

What makes two people fall in love? There might be a million reasons, but who would have guessed the reason for Indira and Thiruchelvan falling in love?

Guys, Velu Naicker doesn't dance. Even if Kuyili and janagaraj let their hair down. Even if Ilaiyaraaja belts out Nilaa Adhu vaanathu mela... Velu Naicker doesn't dance.

Changing landscapes, changing societies, changing lifestyles. And somehow, every decade, Mani Ratnam comes up with a decade-defining love story.

The phenomenon called AR Rahman makes his way into Tamil cinema. Nothing will ever be the same

Can't you hear the train's whistle in this scene? Even if it is muted, can't you hear that anguish in the eyes of the 'Chinna Thaai' And yeah, yet another train scene

Can a filmmaker ever just let his guard down and make a whimsical film? Well, Mani Ratnam made Thiruda Thiruda

What if Vivek Oberoi never got injured during Yuva's shooting? Would there have been an Ayutha Ezhuthu? Would Tamil audience seen the beginning of the experimental phase of Mani Ratnam

When Tamil cinema went to Delhi and did not make a political film. More importantly, Chandramouli and Kambili poochi became household words

While O Paapa Laali is the more iconic number from this love story, it is impossible to sidestep the first and only collaboration between Silk Smitha and Mani Ratnam

Another interesting attempt by Mani Ratnam to retell a mythology. The efficacy of it is debatable, but this was the time the filmmaker started believing more in the perceptive power of the audience

The film is mostly remembered for two things now 1. Raja Rajadhi Raja song 2. The cinematography which some call brilliant and some call 'I can't see what's happening'

When a kids film remained just that... a kids film. Mani Ratnam's ET moment, with an equally poignant tale woven around children, who thankfully, behaved like children