
Mani Ratnam On Comedy: I Can Never Make Them, Just Watch Them
NEW DELHI (ANI)- Critically acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam recently shared that despite his fondness for comedy films, he believes he cannot direct them.
During a press conference in Delhi to promote his upcoming film Thug Life, which stars Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR, the Nayakan director discussed his preferred genres. “The genre I like most, I am not good at them, so I don’t make them. I just watch it,” Ratnam stated. He added, referring to Kamal Haasan, “He does comedy, and it’s unbelievable the comedy films he does, and I can never make them. So, I just watch.”
Kamal Haasan, however, offered a different perspective, suggesting that Ratnam’s avoidance of comedy is a choice rather than an inability. “It’s a choice, it’s not like he can’t, he won’t. That’s what I think. I have spoken to him. He is not those people who are very serious when we joke, this gentleman laughs. So, he gets it. But somewhere, he has kept himself that way,” Haasan observed.
Mani Ratnam, a revered figure in Indian cinema, also addressed being called a “dream director,” quipping, “Some people would like the dream to remain a dream.” He elaborated on his collaborative process, stressing that he must offer actors substantial roles: “I can’t just take a film because they want to work with me. I should be able to give them something a little more or almost as good as what they’ve done before.”
Thug Life, co-written by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 5. The film features an ensemble cast including Trisha Krishnan, Sanya Malhotra, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf.