B’day Speak: I Just Think About My Next Film, Says Mani Ratnam

On his birthday, a look back on the creative process of the master filmmaker.

His 25th film Kaatru Veliyidai released to great reviews. But what makes Mani Ratnam the phenomenal filmmaker that he is? What is the working process of one of the most celebrated directors of our time?

Journalists Rajeev Masand and Baradwaj Rangan spoke to the filmmaker in two separate interviews to talk about his work. Excerpts from the interviews:

Zeroing in on an Idea

The beginning of an idea is always in things you have seen and you know to an extent. It doesn’t become an idea the next day. If it keeps coming back to you, then you know there’s something in you that’s invested in it. You take it up and see if you can develop it.

Mani Ratnam, Filmmaker

Making Movies

With experience, making a movie gets tougher. You have to consciously stay away from what you have already done, not set a pattern. Also, you have to try and go beyond the standard you have set. It’s not a profession where you can sit back and relax. You may not always be able to but you should still try to ensure that the film is better than your last film.

Also read: Movie Review: Kaatru Veliyidai Is Everything That Baahubali Is Not

Making movies is not a job for me. It’s a passion. It’s very easy to be passionate about it. People are doing such good work, there’s so much to be done. You just have to try.

I was surprised to find I could write. Direction is what drew me to films.

In between films, I work on scripts.

Working With AR Rahman

He hasn’t really changed. Every time we meet, every film is the first film. He is willing to try anything and if it doesn’t work, he doesn’t take it personally. He just moves on. 

It’s very difficult to choose but as an album as a whole, Dil Se is probably my favourite.

Telling It His Way

I am in mainstream film-making. I want to make films that reach as many people as possible. So I want to talk in a language I can easily communicate with. But I say what I want to say and not necessarily what they want to hear. So it is this intersection you are constantly attempting.

The base or soul of the film has to work for you. Otherwise you don’t take it up. It will take two years of your life, so you better be invested in it... something that you think you can do well. Tell it in a fashion that’s entertaining but still honest to your original thought. So it’s a balance.

There will always be these huge blockbusters and there will be these fantastic small films. You have to find a path you are comfortable with and what you think you can deliver consistently.

Casting the Actors

You see if there’s communication between you and the actor, have the same wavelength. A lot of times you say things, but it’s not reciprocated by the actor. Then you see whether they are right for the character. 50 per cent is the physicality of the character. Box office value is significant as well.

Pre-release Jitters

You know that’s you can’t touch the film any more. So you have to let it go. You just sit back and relax. If possible, think of the next one or where you want to take off. You wonder how the film will be received and perceived. It’s a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

On His Legacy

I dont think of legacy. I just think about my next film.

(Source: Film Companion, Rajeev Masand)

(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 9 April 2017. It is now being republished to mark Mani Ratnam’s birthday.)