Roja (film)

Roja
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mani Ratnam
Written by	Sujatha (dialogues)
Screenplay by	Mani Ratnam
Story by	Mani Ratnam
Produced by	K. Balachander
Starring	Arvind Swamy Madhubala
Cinematography	Santosh Sivan
Edited by	Suresh Urs
Music by	A. R. Rahman
Production company	Kavithalayaa Productions
Distributed by	GV Films
Release date	15 August 1992 (1992-08-15)
Running time	137 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Tamil

Roja is a 1992 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed and co-written by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Arvind Swamy and Madhoo (credited as Madhubala). The film was produced by K. Balachander under his Kavithalayaa Productions and distributed by G. Venkateswaran. The film's cinematography was handled by Santhosh Sivan, music by A. R. Rahman in his debut and editing done by Suresh Urs.

It follows a simple girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, making desperate efforts to find her husband after he is kidnapped by militants during a secret undercover mission in Jammu and Kashmir.

The film released on 15 August 1992, to positive reviews, receiving praise for its patriotic theme and critically acclaimed soundtrack. It was featured in the Indian panorama section of the 24th IFFI.

Roja won three National Film Awards, including Best Film on National Integration, catapulting Ratnam to national acclaim. The film also gained international acclaim with its nomination for Best Film at the 18th Moscow International Film Festival. The film was re-released for international audiences in light of the growing fear of terrorist attacks across the world. It is the first in Mani Ratnam's trilogy of films, preceding Bombay (1995) and Dil Se.. (1998), that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics.

A. R. Rahman debuted as a film composer with this film. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for his work.