Filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Ram Gopal Varma are some of the well-known filmmakers in the South, and the duo have also made their mark in Bollywood. In a recent interview, Ram Gopal revealed that he does not like Mani Ratnam’s movies, and the ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ director also does not like Ram Gopal’s films. He also shared that there is no chance of them collaborating in the future.Ram Gopal Varma and Mani Ratnam do not like each other’s moviesIn a candid conversation on the MPower podcast, Ram Gopal said, “I’m not really a fan of Nayakan. Actually, Mani doesn’t like any of my films. I don’t like Mani’s films. That’s like our relationship,” he stated.
Varma shared that Kamal Haasan’s performance in Nayakan stood out, but the film as a whole didn’t resonate with him. The filmmaker added that it might have happened due to his keen knowledge about Kamal’s character in the movie, Varadarajan Mudaliar. Ram had already explored a lot about Varadarajan, the Mumbai underworld don, on his own.Ram Gopal Varma about creative differences with Mani RatnamVarma credits the late veteran filmmaker K. Balachander as a source of cinematic inspiration. Balachander, who also produced Ratnam’s Roja, left a lasting impression on Varma’s approach to storytelling and editing. “In fact, recently, I was watching a Tamil/Telugu film of his, I don’t remember. I was surprised to see how similar my cuts are. Obviously, because I learnt from him,” Varma noted.Varma and Mani Ratnam worked together on Gaayam and Thiruda Thiruda as co-writers. In 1998, they teamed up as co-producers on ‘Dil Se’.“We like each other as people. I think we both wanted to make our own films. He didn’t listen to one idea of mine, and I didn’t listen to one idea of his. So we made our own films,” Varma shared.He further noted that they are both very song-minded people with a unique way of filmmaking. Ram was certain about the impracticality of ‘two strong-minded creative people collaborating’.Mani Ratnam’s Thug LifeMani Ratnam’s recent release Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan, struggled to leave a mark at the box office and among critics and fans alike.
