Mani Ratnam: 'Shah Rukh Khan was everyone's voice in Dil Se, making Raavan as a bilingual was a mistake'

At the ongoing Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, filmmaker Mani Ratnam was in conversation with another filmmaker Imtiaz Ali about his journey in Indian cinema, the films that he has made, and remembering two of them- Dil Se and Raavan.

Talking about the former that starred Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, which recently completed 25 years, Ratnam revealed, “Dil Se was made around India’s 50 years of Independence. It was a reminder that not all corners of the country are liberated as one would like to believe. Shah Rukh Khan’s character was not just an All India Radio reporter, he was everyone’s voice.”

On making Raavan as a bilingual

Making Raavan as a bilingual film was a mistake. It was a burden because I was literally making two films at a time, and neither the Hindi nor the Tamil audience could completely relate to it. It was a case of neither here nor there.”

About the filmmaker

With a career spanning four decades, Mani Ratnam is one of the most celebrated, well-known, and respected directors from South Asia. Over the decades, his cinema has explored different themes, from the classic love story to political drama to human drama. Mani Ratnam’s films have layered characters and complex themes that are deeply rooted in a cultural and social context.

His most notable movies include Mouna Ragam (1986), Nayakan (1987), Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), Iruvar (1997), Alaipayuthey (2000), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Guru (2007), and Ponniyin Selvan (1 & 2). Mani Ratnam is one of the greats, and his cinema continues to be relevant and a conversation starter. Three of his films have been remade in Hindi as Dayavan, Saathiya, and OK Jaanu.

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