With Ayuthu Ezhuthu nearing 100 days the focus shifts to Manirathinam. A trend setter in Tamil cinema, he showed that it was not just story telling which mattered but that technical excellence and innovation was necessary for a movie. Realism within the parameters of commercial cinema was yet another trade mark of this bespectacled director who shifted the focus of the nation to Tamil cinema. His first entry into Hindi with Roja created a storm.

An MBA , Manirathinam though started his career in Kannada film he got recognition with Nayagan in which Kamalhassan- Saranya and Karthika played the key roles. Music by Illayaraja and camera work by P C Sriram the film was a raging hit. Right from Nayakan he has shown the nature to experiment. After seeing the lighting and dialogue delivery as well as the underplaying of the central character, it’s producer Muktha Srinivasan said that he had a sure flop in his hand. It was that time that GV offered to buy up the film . It was one of first ever victories that Manirathinam notched up. Next was not about a Don but about sibling rivalry. A rage among youth was Agninatchathram. His box office victories after this promising start were few. Even a film with Rajnikant ( Dhalapathi) was only an average grosser.

Roja was the yet another turning point in his career. With Aravind Swamy- AR Rahman- Santosh Sivan it got Manirathinam the acceptance from the movie goers in the Hindi heartland. The film swept the nation for its theme and music. Aravind Swamy became a rage. This set Manirathinam thinking of doing movies with national interest. Bombay about communal divide, Dil Se about terrorism but all this met with limited success turned back to once again his strong point- romance. He directed Alai Payuthe but this time a romance and rift between newly married couple. The launch pad of Madhavan in Tamil . The director in him was never contended beating the treaded path.

He chose next to make a film about a girl’s search for her mother in Srilanka. Once again a limited box office success this film remains as Simran’s career best. When Alai Payuthe remade in Hindi by his associate as Saathiya which was commercially a grosser gave Manirathinam once again a chance to take a shot in Bollywood came with Yuva with three big heroes Abhishekh, Ajay devgan and Vivek Oberoi along with Kareena, Esha and Rani while Ayutha Ezhuthu had Madhavan- Soorya- Siddharth with Meera Jasmine- Trisha and Esha in the cast. Once again with Rahman’s music. A subject of three youths from different backgound in life uniting for a cause. The narration path chosen by the director was confusing feels many but then that’s Manirathinam. The master has begun work for his next.