Mani Ratnam is an ace director and A.R. Rahman has won the oscar awards. The icons of Indian cinema have worked together for over 30 years. They made their first film together as Roja in 1992, Iruvar, Bombay, Kannathil Muthamittal, etc and now till their recent film Ponniyin Selavn 2 that is releasing on April 28. Many of their songs have become chart-toppers and are favourites of many. The duo of Mani Ratnam and A.R. Rahman gave an exclusive interview to the national award-winning critic Baradwaj Rangan, the editor-in-chief of Galatta Plus.
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During the interview, the director Mani Ratnam shared some exciting details about their past and future projects and their working styles in the interview. The interviewer Baradwaj Rangar asked about his desire to make a songless film. the directro siad he wanted Thiruda Thiruda to be without song but how he couldn't resist with the Rasathi song. Mani Ratnam said "it was the other way around I said it wouldn't fit in this film though the song was wonderful. I said we will use it in the next one. It was beyond what the film could take. But Vairamuthu and A.R.R. Convinced me. I could in no way justify it fully. We tried but we couldn't do justice to it." AR Rahman said "he gave a whole canvas. For me to show what I can do and I had fun with it. It changed my career and the song is still a blueprint to many."
When asked if Mani Ratnam still feels the urge to make a song-less film, he said "all the time. Songs are like doing another film altogether. It is so good you know that people will like the songs and they come to theatres with that in mind whereas when you are making a film you make the film and then songs are constructed but songs go first to people. So, they hear the songs they want to know how are picturized. It comes the other way around. And sometime we can't do justice because the story doesn't let you. Every song is like an exam you have to pass. On the first day of song shooting, I would not have any idea how to do it."
