Mani Ratnam's Real Name: Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam, Indian Director
Mani Ratnam → Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam
Quick answer: Mani Ratnam's real name is Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam. He was born on June 2, 1956, in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, and directs under the name Mani Ratnam.
[IMAGE: credited primary photo of the subject, with photographer or archive credit]
Real name and early life
Britannica gives his original name as Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam and notes he is the son of film producer Ratnam Iyer (Britannica; Cinemaazi). After a management degree at Mumbai's Jamnalal Bajaj Institute he moved into directing with the Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983). Mouna Ragam (1986) established him as a major Tamil filmmaker. "Mani Ratnam" is the professional form by which Indian and international press know him; the longer birth style is what encyclopedia entries preserve for the "real name" query.
[IMAGE: credited secondary photo, career still, or performance image, with credit]
Career highlights
Nayakan (1987) starring Kamal Haasan—a crime epic often compared to The Godfather—is frequently called his masterpiece and made Time's list of 100 greatest films. Political dramas Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995) paired him with composer A.R. Rahman and reached Hindi-dubbed audiences nationwide; Hindi original Dil Se.. (1998) and Guru (2007) deepened that footprint. Later Tamil hits include OK Kanmani (2015) and the two-part historical epic Ponniyin Selvan (2022–23). India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2002 (Britannica). His work is known for ambitious camerawork, song visualization, and topical storytelling inside commercial cinema.
For readers of realnameof.com, the documented name facts above are drawn from encyclopedia, library, and major news sources—not unsourced trivia sites. Wikipedia is listed only as a starting pointer.
Amazon note (tag realname1-20): albums, biographies, or film/home-video editions tied to this subject are natural product slots; skip adult pages.
FAQ
What is Mani Ratnam's real name?
Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam.
When and where was he born?
June 2, 1956, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
What is often called his greatest film?
*Nayakan* (1987).
Who scores many of his films?
A.R. Rahman (from *Roja* onward for many titles).
Did he receive a Padma award?
Padma Shri in 2002.
Does he work only in Tamil?
No—he has also made major Hindi films and had Tamil films dubbed for Hindi audiences.