Manirathnam is a movie-maker who has successfully managed to blend art and mainstream cinema.

His movies satisfy the mass as well as the class audience.

He understands both segments and his movies carry a unique blend.

The songs in Manirathnam’s movies, mostly set to tunes by A R Rahman, carry a special flavour and feel.

Manirathnam is acclaimed as the modern-day master for film songs as he knows how to get a song in the film, without affecting the flow of the story.

But Manirathnam has always maintained that he would like to make movies without songs. In fact, his original idea for Aayitha Ezhuthu was to make it without songs.

Now Manirathnam says that it is impossible to make cinema in India without songs.

At a time when his Guru with Abhishek and Aishwarya in the leads, is set to hit the theatres, Manirathnam says music is an indispensable component of Indian movies.

In Guru too, the songs are outstanding, with Rahman strumming some great numbers.