Bombay (Tamil: பம்பாய்) is a critically acclaimed and national award-winning 1995 Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film met with a strong reception upon release.
The film is centred on events, particularly during the period of December 1992 to January 1993 in India, and the controversy surrounding the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and its subsequent demolition on December 6, 1992. Increased religious tensions in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) led to the Bombay Riots. It is the second in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja and Dil Se.
Eventually becoming one of the highest grossing films of the Chennai film industry, the film was well-received both critically and commercially, and it was screened at many international film festivals including the Philadelphia Film Festival in 1996 where it was an audience favourite. The film's soundtrack sold 15 million units, becoming one of the best-selling film soundtracks of all time, and earning composer A. R. Rahman his fourth consecutive Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil). However, the film caused considerable controversy upon release in India and abroad for its depiction of inter-religious relations and religious riots. The film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia upon release.
In July 2005, a book on the film by Lalitha Gopalan was published by BFI Modern Classics, looking at the film's production, the several issues it covered, and its impact upon release in India and abroad.The film was ranked among the top 20 Indian films in the British Film Institute's rankings. The film was also dubbed in Hindi and Telugu.
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Songs
Arvind Swamy as Shekhar Narayanan Pillai
Manisha Koirala as Shaila Bano
Tinnu Anand as Shakti Samaj Leader
Nassar as Narayanan Pillai
Vasudevan as Basheer
Sonali Bendre in an Item number
Prakash Raj
Awards
National
1996 National Film Awards
Won - Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Mani Ratnam
Won - National Film Award for Best Editing - Suresh Urs
1996 Filmfare Awards
Won - Best Film (Critics) - Mani Ratnam
Won - Best Performer (Critics) - Manisha Koirala
1996 Filmfare Awards South
Won - Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) - A. R. Rahman
Won - Filmfare Best Actress Award (Tamil) - Manisha Koirala
1995 Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
Won - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director - A. R. Rahman
Won - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Lyricist - Vairamuthu
International
1995 Edinburgh International Film Festival (Scotland)
Won - Gala Award - Bombay - Mani Ratnam
2003 Jerusalem Film Festival (Israel)
Won - Wim Van Leer In Spirit for Freedom Award - Best Feature - Bombay - Mani Ratnam
1996 Political Film Society Awards (United States)
Won - Special Award - Bombay - Mani Ratnam
