With Mani Ratnam in person at all screenings

Widely credited as the director who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema—an industry just as prolific as its far better known “Bollywood” Hindi-language cousin—Mani Ratnam is that rarest of film directors nowadays: an artist capable of making exquisitely crafted, hugely entertaining, yet intelligent and provocative films on a range of social and political issues. The false dichotomies that are used to categorize films—art vs. commercial cinema, entertainment vs. political filmmaking—disappear when one sees how easily Ratnam is able to combine aspects of all of them into his work.  Mani Ratnam is a treasure, and this program offers a rare opportunity to see his gorgeous films on the big screen, presented in 35mm.     —Richard Peña 

Read Richard Peña's complete series introduction

Organized by Christina Marouda, Director of Development and Founder of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Special thanks to Richard Peña, Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival and Professor of Film Studies at Columbia University, and Uma da Cunha.