Vaanam Kottattum (2020)

Mani Ratnam finalised plans to produce a film for Madras Talkies by his assistant director Dhana Sekaran in late 2018. The story of the film was conceived by Mani Ratnam during a recce during the pre-production stages of O Kadhal Kanmani (2015). He had written a story based on the lives of real characters from Theni, which his assistant Dhana had recollected from his years growing up in the hill town. Mani Ratnam chose to eventually prioritise other directorial ventures, but agreed to produce the script with Dhana as director, owing to his familiarity with the characters. Dhana initially considered naming the film either Two Brothers or Brother Sister, but Mani Ratnam suggested the title of Vaanam Kottattum, a title he had earlier considered for his O Kadhal Kanmani and Kaatru Veliyidai