Mani Ratnam: ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ offered huge scope to me as a filmmaker

Director Mani Ratnam on his magnum opus ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ and how the success of SS Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’ opened new doors for him

Mani Ratnam doesn't take tags seriously.

Mention the tag ‘pan Indian’, the latest in-phrase in cinema, in the context of his latest magnum opus Ponniyin Selvan ( PS1), and the filmmaker shrugs. “I have no idea [if it’s pan-Indian],” he smiles, adding, “Only the outside world gives such brackets. We’ve made a film as honestly as possible on the book it’s based on. We’ll accept whatever tags come along the way.”

Described as India's first pan-Indian director by his peers SS Rajamouli and Shankar, Mani Ratnam seems content with the way his latest project, headed by an all-star cast including Vikram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Trisha, has turned out. In a conversation at his Madras Talkies office the director discusses why he continues to do what he does best: make films. Excerpts from the interview:

Many actors, from MGR to Kamal Haasan, wanted to make this book into a film. Why was it a dream for you as well?

I was in school when I first read the book. It was an exciting adventure, and very entertaining and intriguing. Kalki is an amazing storyteller who had the ability to tell such a large story very personally. There is some sort of connection between the writer and everyone who has read the book. After I got into films and the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to make it for the big screen.

Everybody who has read the novel imagines their own version of the principal characters. Was that expectation overwhelming for you as a filmmaker?

Well, I am also one amongst the many admirers of the novel. I feel as possessively and strongly about each of the characters as you do.