Taj Mahal (1999 film)

Taj Mahal is a 1999 Tamil film directed by Bharathiraja. The film featured the directors son, Manoj, alongside fellow debutant Riya Sen in the lead roles, with an ensemble supporting cast including Revathi, Radhika and Ranjitha. The films story was written by Mani Ratnam while music was composed by A.R.Rahman and Madhu Ambat handled the camera. The story of the film revolved around two clashing communities and two lovers caught in the vortex of their rivalry. The film fared poorly at the 1999 Deepavali releases box office.

Bharathiraja introduced his son Manoj as an actor with the film, stating that his son should appear as an actor before fulfilling his dreams of working as a part of the crew. Riya Sen, daughter of Hindi actress Moon Moon Sen was signed on to play the leading female role. Leading filmmaker Mani Ratnam wrote the story for the film, while Rajiv Menon was also involved in initial script discussions but opted out after the film became a villagecentric project. A. R. Rahman was signed to score the music while veteran cinematographer B. Kannan also signed the project, ending a long hiatus in Tamil films. The team started preproduction work in late 1997 and shooting began in 1998, with the project becoming Janani Cine Arts most expensive production til date.During production, Bharathiraja considered giving his son a stage name of Manibharathi, but ultimately opted against doing so. An exact replica of the Taj Mahal on Marina beach in Madras for a song sequence. The film was shot across areas including Kulu Manali, Badhami, Hampi, Bellari and Poomparai. ........

Source: Wikipedia