Rakkamma kaiya thattu! Remembering the magic called 'Ilayaraja-Mani Ratnam' on their birthday

The movie was the Mani Ratnam-directed Thalapathi, and the song- 'Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu', composed by Ilayaraja. Sadly, nostalgia was to be the future for the duo's magic, as they never went on to work together again. Here are some of their hits that have withstood the test of time: (File photo)

Thenpandi Cheemayile- Nayagan: The 1987 crime-drama inspired from The Godfather went on to be listed in TIME magazine's 'All-Time 100 Best Films'. This was also Ilayaraja's 400th film soundtrack. The theme song 'Thenpandi Cheemayile' plays for most of the film. (Photo credit | Youtube)

Sundari Kannal Oru Seidhi – Thalapathy: Besides 'Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu', Thalapathi also had the memorable 'Sundari Kannal Oru Seidhi' sung by S. P. Balasubramanyam charming the audience. The song recording had reportedly taken place in Mumbai with R. D. Burman's orchestra. (Photo credit | Youtube)

Anjali Anjali- Anjali: The movie was Ilayaraja's 500th film. The song had Ilayaraja's children Yuvan Shankar Raja and Bhavatharini also among the singers. (Photo credit | Youtube)

Nilaave Vaa- Mouna Ragam: A major breakthrough in Ratnam's career, the movie earned him the Best Tamil Director Award. The song 'Nilaave Vaa' was well received by the masses, with a critic calling it the 'timeless classic that you never tire of'. (Photo credit | Youtube)

Ninnukori Varnam – Agni Natchatiram: The Mani Ratnam movie's 200-day run at the box office is largely credited to the popularity of its songs. 'Ninnukori Varnam' was a top favourite and was sung by K S Chitra. (Photo credit | Youtube)