Mani Ratnam
Director
One of the most prominent directors in Indian cinema. He was known for award-winning films like Mouna Ragam, Geethanjali, and Roja.
He worked as a management consultant before entering the film industry.
His 1987 film Nayagan became one of just three Indian films to appear on Time magazine's 2005 All-Time 100 Greatest Movies list.
His two brothers G. Venkateswaran and G. Srinivasan were both film producers.
He and fellow Indian director P. Bharathiraja both won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director.