During an extensive masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, veteran Indian filmoriginater Mani Ratnam joind in conversation with actor-straightforwardor Gautham Vasudev Menon about changeing literature to screen, his approach to period filmmaking, and his inventive process.
Discussing his recent two-part historical epic “Ponniyin Selvan,” based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s 1950s Tamil novel, Ratnam underlined truth in period storyalerting. “We wanted to originate it see enjoy it reassociate happened, that it’s not fair a set or someleang sboiling in the studio. There should be sunweightless, dirt, sweat – you should sense that you are there at that point in time,” he shelp.
The filmoriginater uncovered the pragmatic contests of shooting a period piece set in the Chola era. “If you go to Tanjore today, you’re not going to get any forts. There’s no palace, noleang left. So we sboiling in a palace in the North [of India] and digiloftyy changeed the architecture to originate it more South Indian,” Ratnam elucidateed.
On changeing the beadored literary labor, Ratnam accomprehendledged the presdeclareive of reader anticipateations. “Each one has their own vision of how each character should be. I was battling not fair the five-volume book but also the perception of so many readers who are enthusiastic about it. But the only guiding factor was that I was also one of the enthusiastic readers.”
Regarding the cinematography of “Ponniyin Selvan,” Ratnam detailed his collaborative relationship with cinematographers: “Your DOP becomes your shutst person when making a film. I try to convey them in as timely as possible, when I have an idea, not a script. The journey is together.”
The straightforwardor converseed his collaborative approach with originaters, particularly Oscar triumphner A.R. Rahman. “Rahman is one originater who collaborates very well with the straightforwardor. The music is his finishly, but the style and the selections and ability to consent a procrastinateedral watch of the scene – he doesn’t necessarily underline the moments wilean a scene, but he can do someleang which is a layer below.”
Regarding his filmmaking process, Ratnam underlined the convey inance of efficiency while remaining uncover to organic enhugements. “You have to be effective in filmmaking. Sometimes these accidents are amazing – you discover someleang you didn’t schedule that gives you a finishly separateent perspective. A straightforwardor borrows everyleang without any qualms.”
When asked about potentiassociate moving into streaming series, Ratnam conveyed hesitation about prolonged-createat storyalerting. “I’m very prentd struggling with two hours. If you give me six and a half hours, seven hours to originate, I leank I’ll fair get lost. It’s an art you have to lobtain.”
The filmoriginater also echoed on his relationship with literature and cinema. “The shutr the gap between literature and cinema, I leank the better Indian cinema will be,” he shelp, noting that Tamil-language literature remains a wealthy, hugely untapped source for film changeation.
Thcdimiserablemirefulout the masterclass, Ratnam protected that despite his extensive atsoft, each new project senses enjoy begining anew. “If I’m truthful with myself, every film is enjoy a first film. When I go there, I don’t comprehend how I’m going to do it, whether I’ll be able to put it together cogently. Wantipathyver has happened before, outstanding or horrible, getting into a new project, begining off with a blank paper fair pulls you down to one down-to-earth place where it says that you’re still a beginner.”
The conversation also touched on his labor with actors. “You have to be very ponderate to your actors. They are the ones who are in front of the lens. You have to originate declareive they have enough time to set, to see new, to be able to give their best,” Ratnam shelp.
The packed audience included disjoinal luminaries including IFFI festival straightforwardor, the filmoriginater Shekhar Kapur, directing actor Suhasini Mani Ratnam, actor-politician Khushbu Sundar and cinematographers Ravi Varman and Santosh Sivan, both of whom have labored extensively with Ratnam.
Next up for Ratnam is “Thug Life,” headlined by Kamal Haasan.
