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| BALU
MAHENDRA |
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 National
award winning Director, Balu Mahendra's real name is Benjamin
Mahendra. Born in 1946, he was the 1969 Gold medallist from the
Film and Television Institute of India (Pune). Winning the
Best Cinematographer award from the Government of India for
his Malayalam film Nellu, he started his career as
a cameraman.
He made his directorial debut with Kokila, a Kannada
film that also bagged him the National award. Azhiyaatha
Kolangal is his first Tamil film. American films like Micky
and Maude have inspired him to bring out thought provoking
films like Rettai Vaal Kuruvi (Tamil).
Balu Mahendra's strength as a cinematographer has helped him use visuals
as an effective vehicle to carry forward the story. He has handled
social issues like red tapism, corruption and old age in films like
Sandhyaaraagam. The femala characters in his films come
out strongly as in Veedu (Tamil). Music in his films
speaks with as much eloquence as his characters.
Being the scriptwriter, cameraman and editor for his films, he retains
control over all aspects of his film. His landmark films include Moondraam
Pirai and Neengal Kettavai.
MANI RATNAM
 Renowned
filmmaker Mani Ratnam is credited with raising the standard
of filmmaking to new highs - both technically and conceptually.
Not many know that Mani Ratnam's first film was in Kannada
(a language he was not familiar with) and his second was in Malayalam.
It was only with his third film that he began communicating in the
language where he made his name - Tamil.
Among his acclaimed films are the Mohan and Revathi starrer
- Mouna Raagam, the Kamal Hasan starrer - Naayagan,
the semi-biographical film inspired by Actor-Politician MGR - Iruvar
and the quasi-political trilogy of Roja, Bombay and
Dil Se (Hindi).
While his early work (typified by Mouna Ragam) spoke with simplicity,
Mani Ratnam has, over the years, added cinematographic gloss
and a larger canvas to his treatment of scripts.
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