Rank top 10 movies of Maniratnam according to you?

 Here is my list as of 16th July 2026. I am pretty sure no 2 would shock many.

Also one more movie which many would assume no 1 is not even in top 5

Lets get started -

10. Geethanjali

I had only one slot for rom coms - Ok Kanmani , Alai Paiuthey , Mouna Raagam, Anu Pallavi. Probably because of telugu connection and killer album from Illayaraja and crazy concept of two terminally ill patients falling in love took me by surprise.

9. Guru

I seriously believe this is last best work of Mani Ratnam. He should have retired aftwr this .

8.Roja

This movie will be remembered for stellar AR Rahman music and Pan India success.

Back in those days Tamil movies were all about national integration unlike today filled with oppression themes would love to see those days back.

7. Bombay

Another gem where again he talks about sensitive riots but best scene has to be Ralapalli and kid who questions about god and riots.

Couldn't get in Tamil anywhere but would love to have it.

6. Agni Natchitram

Mani explores family dynamics in a neat and different way. Though some scenes are lifted from god father. Not a big fan of janakaraj comedy track but I loved lead actor performance and once again stellar album from Illayaraja.

One memorable scene is train scene. May be this movie may not even make it to top 10 of many but for some reason I like how he explored human relationship of foster.

5. Nayagan

Well it finally makes it to my list at no 5. Nayagan betrayed me to tilt what I thought was best movie anyone can make until i discovered god father 1 and 2. Then realise how much Vito corleone inspired Vel Naicker.

Most heartbreaking scene is not wife death scene but above scene where his daughter doesn't even allow him to see his grand daughter.

4. Kannathil Muthamittal

Yes deeply moves me . Its about war sacrifices for identity. Fight for land , fight for identity and mainly consequences of these conflicts.

Though I am not a fan of language before nation but I have my heart bleed for Eelam Tamils until I met some selfish pricks especially gen z who doesn't even care about Eelam or Tamilians in TN who are so concerned about Eelam.

3. Thalapathy

And yes Thalapathy makes it to into my list at number 3 position. It has everything in it eternal tale of Duryodhana and Karna friendship. Kunti karna story. I would have loved for original climax of Rajini and Mamoothy dying but its okay.

2. Thiruda Thiruda

There are few movies which inspired me persinally to be filmmaker and this movie is one.

ARR music and bgms. Maniratnam handling of heist genre wow just wow and yeah PC Sreeram lens.

And drums rolls.

No points for guessing.

1. Iruvar

Violins ARR bgm. Mohanlal eternalise MGR for us so does Prakash Raj. It is an excellent take. Way it starts , way it ends.

Are there any old Bollywood movies that are still enjoyable to watch today? If so, which ones and why?

 Recently I had to recharge my jio sim to keep it activated (I use it as secondary sim) and got a JioHotstar subscription free. I explored a few movies and shows but didn't find anything interesting. Then I stumbled upon ‘Anand’, released in 1971 from Bollywood.

Source: The Indian Express

The movie revolves around a patient Anand who is diagnosed with a disease and has only a few months to live. He decided to stay the last few months of his live in Bombay. Amitabh is a depressed doctor who hates his job for the lack of his power to save lives of people who often suffer from incurable diseases. He usually stayed rude, thought people as the reason for their own problem and had negative overview of life. That is when Anand met him and started staying with him, he slowly changed the view of Amitabh towards life and people. Amitabh once again started smiling and laughing. Unfortunately Ananad due to his disease passed away. Though before so he met a bunch of people, including Amitabh and changed their lives. This movie offers a broad viewpoint towards life.

What are some of the strangest facts about famous movies?

 

• In John Wick: Chapter 2, Keanu Reeves performed about 95 percent of the fight scenes himself.

• The sound of velociraptors communicating with each other in Jurassic Park is actually the sound of turtles mating.

• Gregory Peck took on his role in 1976's The Omen as a way of fighting his "personal demons": his son had committed suicide just before the audition.

• Scream was partly based on a wave of real murders in Florida in the 1990s.

• Tony Todd put real bees in his mouth while filming this terrifying scene from Candyman.

• Jack Nicholson pointed a real gun at Leo DiCaprio in The Departed, even though it wasn't in the script.

• The iconic scene in Pulp Fiction where Vincent stabs Mia in the heart with a needle was actually filmed in reverse. So, in reality, John Travolta was pulling the needle out.

• Many of the extras seen in the background of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest were real mental patients.

• When Taxi Driver premiered in New York City, it was voted one of the 25 most dangerous movies.

• Casino Royale is the first James Bond film approved by Chinese censors.
• To put Jack Nicholson in the right agitated mood, they only fed him cheese sandwiches, which he hates, during the filming of The Shining.
• There is an island nation called Niue that accepts Star Wars collectible coins.
• Christopher Nolan took ten years to write the script for Inception.

• In Seven, Brad Pitt broke his arm while filming the rain scene in which he chases John Doe, so the injury was included in the script.
• Star Trek: The sound of the automatic doors opening on the USS Enterprise is the sound of a Russian train toilet.
• James Cameron carried a nail gun on the Avatar sets and would nail any mobile phones that rang during a take to the wall.

What are some interesting facts about 5 old movies?

 1- Star Wars (1977)

To make Obi-Wan look tired from the desert, actor Alec Guinness made a point of rolling around in the sand wearing his character's clothes.

2- Jaws (1975)

George Lucas decided it would be fun to play around with sticking his head inside the robot shark. What he didn't expect was that Steven Spielberg would take the opportunity to close the animal's mouth, trapping it inside.

3- Chinatown (1974)

When Faye Dunaway needed motivation to film one of her character's scenes, she asked the director to shout something at her. Roman Polanski immediately shouted, "Your salary is your motivation!"

4- The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The actor slated to play the Tin Man, Buddy Ebsen, had to leave the role to be hospitalized because he had an allergic reaction to the aluminum powder used in his makeup.

In addition to him, the actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton, suffered second-degree burns due to the highly toxic makeup.

5- Blade Runner (1982)

The plot's name is not mentioned anywhere in the book that inspired the film: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ?, by Philip K. Dick. The term comes from the title of another book from 1977, written by William S. Burroughs, called Blade Runner (A Movie) .

What interesting facts do you know about some movies?

 1.- Initially, the role of Mia in the Oscar-winning film "La La Land" was intended for Emma Watson, but due to her contract with the film "Beauty and the Beast," she had to decline.

2. The sheet of paper Jimmy is writing on while on the bus is the actual sheet of paper on which the genius Eminem wroteLose YourselfIt sold for $10,000 at an auction.eBay.

3.-The person who drew Rose with the necklace, in addition to the other drawings in Jack's notebook, was the film's director, James Cameron.

4. Disney was inspired by Tom Cruise to create Aladdin.

5.- The creator of the Twilight saga, Stephenie Meyer, appears on screen a couple of times and we hadn't noticed.

6. Disney was inspired by Robin Williams to create the genie of the lamp; Robin even contributed some of his jokes for the character.

7. The same serial killer, Ed Gein, inspired three films based on his story: 'Psycho', 'The Silence of the Lambs', and 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'. Nicknamed "the Butcher of Plainfield," he is credited with dozens of horrific crimes.

8. J.K. Rowling rejected Robin Williams for a role in the first Harry Potter film. The actor even said he wouldn't be paid to appear in the film because he was such a big fan of the saga.

9. For the movie "American Psycho," Christian Bale based his performance on the empty stare that Tom Cruise had during an interview on the David Letterman show.

10. The vast majority of scenes in Friends and How I Met Your Mother are not filmed in New York City, but in studios in Los Angeles.

What are some little-known facts about the Harry Potter movies?

 1.Coincidence?

Harry's birthday is July 31, 1980. Rowling's birthday is also July 31 – but in 1966.

2. Old but Good

The actress who played Moaning Myrtle was 37 years old when "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" was filmed. She is the oldest actress ever to play a Hogwarts student.

3. Dirty Mouth

The character of Ron Weasley originally swore a lot, but Rowling's publisher wouldn't allow her to use such language because it was inappropriate for young readers.

4.JK - Just Kidding ! (Just kidding!)

Rowling's publisher suggested she use initials rather than her given name, "Joanne Rowling," to appeal to male readers. She chose JK, borrowing the "K" from her grandmother, Kathleen. However, neither "Kathleen" nor "K" is part of her legal name.

5. Story Spoilers

Only Alan Rickman, the actor who played Professor Snape, knew his character's fate before the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" because Rowling told him.

6. Botanical Inspiration

Rowling has said the inspiration for the name of Harry's school in the books, "Hogwarts," may have subconsciously come from the name of a plant she saw at Kew Gardens in New York City.

7. Interesting Audition

Rupert Grint dressed up as his female drama teacher and rapped about Ron Weasley for his audition tape. His rap went something like, "Hello, my name is Rupert Grint, I hope you don't think I smell."

8. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

Contrary to popular belief, the 't' at the end of Voldemort is silent. His name comes from the French word meaning "flight of death."

9. Achievement

JK Rowling based 11-year-old Hermione somewhat on herself at the same age. She even made Hermione's Patronus her favorite animal, an otter.

10. The Itchy Second Year

A lice outbreak occurred among child cast members during the filming of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."