Taj Mahal is a 1999 Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Bharathiraja. The film stars his son, Manoj, and Riya Sen in their debut as lead actors, with a supporting ensemble cast including Revathi, Raadhika, and Ranjitha. The film was written by Mani Ratnam while the music was composed by A. R. Rahman and B. Kannan 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 was released during Diwali in 1999 and fared poorly at the box office. Plot Thiruppaachi and Sengulam are neighboring villages with a history of enmity between them. Maayan and Machakanni meet on the day of her engagement and it is love at first sight. Her marriage itself gets called off when the groom and his family insult Machakanni's family and her romance with Maayan continues. However, when her brother finds out about him, all hell breaks loose. The turned-down bridegroom is still itching for revenge and figuring out that the only way to extract it is to marry Machakanni, he pleads for forgiveness and succeeds in melting her brother's heart. The marriage is finalised but Maayan's friends swear to unite the star-crossed lovers. There is also a subplot of Maayan's aunt trying to get her daughter married off to Maayan. Cast Production 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 film-maker 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 village-centric project. A. R. Rahman was signed to score the music while veteran cinematographers B. Kannan and Madhu Ambat also signed the project, ending a long hiatus in Tamil films. The team started pre-production work in late 1997 and shooting began in 1998, with the project becoming Janani Cine Arts' most expensive production to 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,