In 1986 , Mani directed the Tamil romantic drama '' Mouna Ragam '' , which starred Revathi and Mohan . The film was critically acclaimed for portraying urban Tamils in a " realistic " manner . Specifically , it told the story of the friction between a newly-wed couple . The score by Ilaiyaraaja was appreciated and became popular upon release . '' Mouna Raagam '' was subsequently dubbed into Telugu under the same title and became a hit in Andhra Pradesh as well . The film elevated Mani 's status as a director , and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil at the 34th National Film Awards . He won his first Filmfare Award for directing the film
34th National Film Awards
34th National Film Awards
Mani Ratnam