Chitchat with Mani Ratnam
Hyderabad
January 2, 2007
Mani Ratnam is in the city to participate in the audio
launch of Gurukanth (telugu version of his Hindi film Guru) on the evening of 2
January at the Taj Banjara. He met the scribes for chitchat. Here are the
excerpts
What is Guru all about?
Guru is relevant for today. It also shows the changes taking
place in India. It took a year to make this film.
There are rumors that Guru is based on the life story of
Dhirubhai Ambani.
Guru is fiction. It could relate to any entrepreneur who
came up in life without any background.
Why is it titled as Gurukanth for Telugu version instead of
Guru?
Due to some local film chamber restrictions.
Is Guru a lifetime role for Abhishek Bachchan?
It is too early in his career to call any of his roles as
lifetime roles.
Tell us about the role of Aishwarya Rai
She has donned the role of a middle class village girl.
You seem to be stuck with AR Rehman
We enjoy a good working relationship. He likes my films. I
like his music. We are happy.
You have the habit of having an item song in every film
I enjoy shooting songs. I love narrating the story by giving it some mood with
the help of songs. I make sure that all the songs in the film fit that
requirement. The item song in this film comes when three Indian bachelors visit
a place in Turkey.
Is Abhishek Bachchan Aishwarya Rais off-screen
compatibility a reason to cast them in lead roles of Guru?
No. I cast them because they are good for their respective
characters. I do not go by their off-screen relationship.
How do you do the casting?
I have the script ready first. I look at the character,
search for the suitable actor/actress, and approach them. If they also like the
characters I offer them, they are signed up. Casting is a two-way thing. It
should be good for both sides.
There is a rumor that Abhishek requested you to change the
date of release from December 2006 to January 2007 because his astrologer
predicted good days for him in 2007
No. Even if his astrologer tells him, he would not ask me
such favors. The movie release process is completely driven by dynamics, which
are not related to the issues you mentioned in any way.
Do you like commercial cinema or art cinema?
I love commercial films. I make commercial films. At the same time, I make
sure that they are sensible, logical and real. I watched films before entering
the industry. I know that it is extremely important to connect with the
audience while narrating the story. I always keep in my mind that I should
connect to the audience while making any film.
What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of Guru?
Abhishek Bachchan. He plays a character with a time span of
30 years. He has done wonderful work.
When are you going to do a Telugu film again?
I will do it when I get the right script. I like making south films because I
can make the film deep-rooted and flavored. I have the advantage of pushing the
limits when I make south films.
You introduced Aishwarya Rai 10 years ago to the film
industry and now she acted in Guru. Do you observe any change in her?
10 years back she struggled while speaking in Tamil with me. Now I struggle
speaking Hindi with her (giggles). Now she is more mature on the histrionics
front.
Did you watch any films recently?
No. I will start watching films from 13 January 2007. (Guru
is releasing on 12 January 2007).
What is your next project?
It will be a Hindi film titled Lajjo with Kareena Kapoor.
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
