Fresh out of a premier business school in Mumbai ,Mani Ratnam was bitten by the film bug even as he managed portfolios and battled the vicissitudes of the stock markets. “I knew I could make better stuff than what was being churned out,” said Mani. It would have been termed arrogant had his first film not proved his potential. He roped in Balu Mahendra and Ilayaraja but only to complement the content. There was no looking back as Mani’s progress, qualitatively was with leaps and not strides. He imbibed from the styles of Balachander, Balu Mahendra and Mahendran to create his own. “You not only learn what to do but also what to shun,” the director claimed. ‘Nayagan’ made in 1987 while fulfilling his dream of working with his favourite actor also put him on the National map. For once, critics were as delirious as the fans were. Gautam Menon, a school kid was fascinated by the film and Kamal’s performance. Mani had ushered in a style that appealed to a generation that termed Tamil cinema hysterical! Gautam knew where his calling was. He swore he’d direct Kamal one day.Gautam wrote his first script while still in engineering college. Ironically, the hero he approached, Madhavan, wanted his mentor, Mani Ratnam to approve. A reluctant Gautam approached his idol. Mani was just not impressed. ‘Minnale’ was made, was a runaway hit and Gautam was being compared to Mani. He went on extract one of the finest performances from Kamal in ‘Vetaiyadu Vilayadu’. After a tumultuous couple of years with Vijay opting out of ‘Yohan’ just before going on the floors and Surya going public with a trivial thing that could have been sorted over a drink Gautam’s ‘Yennai Arindhal’ would have hit the theatres before you read this.
A day before the film’s release I call an anxious Gautam. “I’m paranoid about how the fans will take it. Ajit feels this is best among the 50- odd films he’s acted in. I would like to believe that. It’s very different from what he’s done before. If I remove myself and watch the film like the audience I’ll be eager to see what he’s done. ”
Can you do that? Watch a film like it’s not yours?
Not exactly but sometimes when I switch off I can see an actor whose talent can be exploited.
What next?
I’m going to finish the Simbu film that I’d started before I jumped into this. That’s my production but I’m looking to sign something big. Vikram has indicated that he wants to work with me but I’m trying to see if Kamal sir is open to a story idea. I’m trying to meet him.”
There were murmurs that there were problems between you two.
Not at all. We were dubbing at the same studio.
So will you be revisiting the ‘Raghavan instinct’?
(Laughs) Yes, I’m looking forward to it.
Where does this fascination with cops stem from?
I don’t know. I associate action and violence only with cops and the army. If a protagonist has to get involved with crime and take on four people he has to be a cop or an ex-cop.
With all the bravura of the cops in your films it’s the emotional angle that strikes a chord.
With this one we’ve really towed that line. This is an emotional film. I’m trying to break out of that genre. If Surya had allowed me to make ‘Dhruva Nakshathiram’ it would have been new age and a break from the genre.
In hindsight do you think when Mani didn’t approve of your first script he probably thought you were capable of much better.
I would like to believe that. I’m completely sold on Mani sir as a mentor even though I haven’t worked under him. I still get nervous when I meet him. When one of my films didn’t do well I mustered the courage and messaged asking how he managed when things weren’t going well. He replied that he switched off, not meeting people and not reading the reviews. I saw it as advice that I sought. Like you said maybe he thought ‘Kakkha Kakkha’ should have been my debut effort.”
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