BALU MAHENDRA

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.

|