The man who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema, Mani Ratnam is the biggest director in South India and one of the most respected directors in all of India. Each of his films contains its own unique style, with beautifully photographed songs and unique back-lighting, and deal with a wide variety of topics, from the classic Indian love story to political thrillers.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 2, 1956 (70)
- Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Writer, director and producer, also actor
- 22 on MovieCove · 49 credits in all
What are Mani Ratnam's films like?
Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 20
A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 5 · Dark 9
A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 5
A split, not a type: Gentle 4 · Charged 6 · Intense 10
Steady 6 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 5
Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0
Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1
Casual 6 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 3
A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 10
Resolved 17 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy5
- Bittersweet9
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous3
- Other1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Mani Ratnam's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (8).
- ZEE5
Subscription and free streaming for Mani Ratnam's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
49 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Inji Vellam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)
Thug Life(2025)
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Killer Soup(2024)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all shows
Jigarthanda Double X(2023)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Ponniyin Selvan: Part I(2022)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Navarasa(2021)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows
Putham Pudhu Kaalai(2020)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Vaanam Kottatum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Chekka Chivantha Vaanam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Kaatru Veliyidai(2017)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
OK Jaanu(2017)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
O Kadhal Kanmani (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Kadal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Raavan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Raavanan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Guru(2007)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Yuva (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Aayitha Ezhuthu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Annavru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
Saathiya(2002)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Five Star(2002)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Kannathil Muthamittal(2002)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Dum Dum Dum(2001)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Alai Payuthey(2000)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Taj Mahal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)
Dil Se..(1998)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Nerrukku Ner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Iruvar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Aasai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Indira (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Bombay(1995)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Thiruda Thiruda(1993)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Gaayam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Dasarathan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Roja(1992)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Kasak(1992)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Thalapathi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Chatriyan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Anjali (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Geethanjali(1989)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Dayavan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Agni Natchathiram (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Nayakan(1987)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Mouna Raagam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Idhaya Kovil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Pagal Nilavu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)
Unaru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Pallavi Anu Pallavi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Career shape
A full career of 48 titles, 47 of them dated from 1983 to 2025.
Biggest box office
Alai Payuthey (2000)
Highest rated
Nayakan (1987)
Most popular right now
Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Mani Ratnam's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up13
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th4
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
8 of their 22 titles are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved8
- Divisive1
- Cult Classic2
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed5
Reviewers score the dialogue 59/100 and the plot and story 55/100 in their films, across 17 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Mani Ratnam's work okay for kids?
Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs heavier than most films and profanity lighter.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Mani Ratnam work with?
People who share at least 2 of Mani Ratnam's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; A.R. Rahman shares the most, 14.
Directors
- Shaad AliShared titles: OK Jaanu (2017), Saathiya (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Shaad Ali
Writers
- SujathaShared titles: Guru (2007), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Dil Se.. (1998)See all 3 shared titles with Sujatha
- SuhasiniShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Guru (2007)See all 3 shared titles with Suhasini
- Divya Prakash DubeyShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Divya Prakash Dubey
- Elango KumaravelShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)See all 2 shared titles with Elango Kumaravel
Actors
- MadhavanShared titles: Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Guru (2007), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Dum Dum Dum (2001), Alai Payuthey (2000)See all 5 shared titles with Madhavan
- NassarShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Bombay (1995), Roja (1992), Nayakan (1987)See all 4 shared titles with Nassar
- Prakash RajShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Bombay (1995)See all 4 shared titles with Prakash Raj
- Trisha KrishnanShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)See all 3 shared titles with Trisha Krishnan
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- A.R. RahmanShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), OK Jaanu (2017), Jai Ho (2015), Guru (2007), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Saathiya (2002), Alai Payuthey (2000), Dil Se.. (1998), Bombay (1995) and 2 moreSee newest 12 of 14 shared titles with A.R. Rahman
- A. Sreekar PrasadShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), OK Jaanu (2017), Guru (2007), Five Star (2002), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Saathiya (2002), Dum Dum Dum (2001), Alai Payuthey (2000)See all 12 shared titles with A. Sreekar Prasad
- P.C. SreeramShared titles: Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020), Alai Payuthey (2000), Thiruda Thiruda (1993), Geethanjali (1989), Nayakan (1987)See all 5 shared titles with P.C. Sreeram
- Ravi VarmanShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Kaatru Veliyidai (2017), Five Star (2002)See all 4 shared titles with Ravi Varman
Producers
- Siva AnanthShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Kaatru Veliyidai (2017)See all 4 shared titles with Siva Ananth
- G. SrinivasanShared titles: Guru (2007), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Dum Dum Dum (2001), Alai Payuthey (2000)See all 4 shared titles with G. Srinivasan
- Barani SakthivelShared titles: Thug Life (2025), Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)See all 3 shared titles with Barani Sakthivel
- Aasheesha SrinivasanShared titles: Ponniyin Selvan: Part Two (2023), Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022), Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020)See all 3 shared titles with Aasheesha Srinivasan
Mixed roles
- Azhagam PerumalShared titles: Dum Dum Dum (2001), Alai Payuthey (2000)See all 2 shared titles with Azhagam Perumal
- Ram Gopal VarmaShared titles: Dil Se.. (1998), Thiruda Thiruda (1993)See all 2 shared titles with Ram Gopal Varma
