`Regional films are more rooted'
SANGEETHA DEVI. K
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Mani Ratnam mirrors India down the decades through the life of one man. It's not Dhirubhai Ambani, though, he clarifies.
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Within the commercial framework, you can make logical, dramatic and effective films.
`GURU' SPEAK Abhishek Bachchan holds forth as Gurukanth Desai.
Being Mani Ratnam isn't easy. The more he chooses to stay reticent, the greater is the speculation that surround his projects. His latest film, Guru, is no exception. As the film nears its release date on January 12 in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, the man himself remains unfazed. In Hyderabad to release the audio of the Telugu version, Gurukanth, he fields comfortable and uncomfortable questions effortlessly.
He dismisses references to Dhirubhai Ambani with a smile. "I didn't write Guru with Dhirubhai Ambani in mind. It could be anyone who has battled the odds and risen to the top. I wanted to present changing India through the life of one man. The film is relevant when the country is witnessing change; that's why I spent a year making it." He also brushes aside rumours that Mukesh Ambani requested a screening of Guru to ensure that it didn't paint a negative image of the eldest son of the business baron.
He explains, "It's a period film that begins in the 50s when the country had just become a Republic. Through the life of Gurukanth, it takes you through the 60s, 70s and 80s. It's not tough to make a period film. It's important to capture it within the confines of the script." Stories that span a lifetime aren't new for Ratnam. He's done that with Nayagan and Iruvar. But he insists, "Guru is a period film but that's where the similarity with Iruvar ends."
Ask him about the title Gurukanth for Telugu and he shrugs, "There were restrictions from the film chamber since a similar title was used earlier. So we chose Gurukanth, the name of Abhishek's character." The film-maker who resurrected Abhishek's career with Yuva brightens up as he talks about the actor. "He is remarkable. He's matured as an actor since Yuva. I guess when your career gets on track you are more involved and confident."
As for Aishwarya, whom he cast in Iruvar much before she entered Hindi films, he says, "Back then, she had to put in effort to learn the Tamil lines. This time, I had to learn Hindi." If her look in the two films is somewhat similar, Ratnam says, "It wasn't intentional. In Guru, her look befits that of a rural, middle class girl in the 50s." His protégé Madhavan, on the other hand, had to battle the bulge. Ratnam says with a smile, "I made Abhishek put on weight for the scenes where he comes as a middle aged man. Madhavan, though, had to lose weight. One has to get the physicality right for the character. Maddy isn't complaining. Who wouldn't want to be in shape?"
Mani Ratnam.
Guru, he says, has also brought back friends Shaad Ali and Rajeev Menon to his team. "Shaad wanted to work on Guru even after he's independently directed Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli. And Rajeev is among the best cinematographers. He's made the film look real rather than glossy. I loved his work in Bombay. His camera helps me tell the story."
Ratnam believes in using technical aspects and songs to take the story forward. He even defends the item numbers in his films, "I won't be apologetic because I use them to narrate the story. The Mallika Sherawat song comes when three young bachelors, working in Turkey, spend an evening out."
Having grown up watching world cinema, he says, "Films, for me, are an attempt to communicate to the viewer so that he'll be able to take back something. I make films within the commercial framework. Within this framework, you can make logical, dramatic and effective films."
Having said that, he says he can't wait to return to regional films. "Before that I'll have to finish Lajjo, my next with Kareena. Regional films are rooted and give me more freedom. You can push the boundaries and try something like Kannathil Muthamittal (Amrutha in Telugu)."
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