40 Mani Ratnam Quotes for You to Enjoy

Mani Ratnam

Indian Director

Born: Jun 2, 1956

Am Film Films Me You I Am

Actors are the most important. Performance is what matters. Nothing matters more than the actors; they have to perform. No one else can give life to the characters. Audiences must believe the characters as real and the moments as real. Mani Ratnam

The journey of filmmaking is so amazing. You start off with great confidence, and develop insecurity at the time of release. When you are ready with the finished product, you are constantly wondering if you have been honest to the story you started out with, if you got what you wanted. One is too close to the project by then to be objective. Mani Ratnam

Time Great Journey You Confidence Amazing Insecurity Finished Too Project Release Out Constantly Objective Finished Product Develop Ready Got Been Off Close Wondering Wanted Story Then Product Start Started Honest Filmmaking

Once the film is released, once my job is over, I can't see the film again. Mani Ratnam

Job Once Released See Over Again Film

Language, I think, has nothing to do with film-making. It is how you make your point and whether you exploit the visual medium maintaining a certain standard that does the trick. Mani Ratnam

You Language Nothing Think Medium I Think Trick Visual Point Maintaining Make Does How Whether Exploit Certain Your Standard Film-Making

It is usually the setting that decides whether a movie can be made in two languages. If the subject is rooted up North, then I make it in Hindi. But if the subject is common, then I am open to making the movie in multiple languages. Mani Ratnam

I'm not saying that every song has to be an all-time hit or the greatest ever music. That's not what you should set out to do. But you have to find out what will work best for a particular story or theme or backdrop, and discuss how not to make it a cliche or fall into such traps. Mani Ratnam

Work Music Saying Best You Song Will Fall Every Backdrop Out Find All-Time Particular Make Cliche Greatest How Hit Discuss Story Theme Should Traps Ever Set

With each film, you are still trying to get the length and measure right. And failure is all about others' perception of you. When you have one success, they think you know it all. But if you fail, they think they know it all. Mani Ratnam

Success Failure You Perception Think Others About Fail Know Still Get Trying Length Measure Each Film Right

A director is a very selfish person. For him, his film is like his baby. Mani Ratnam

Director Selfish Baby Like Him His Very Person Film

If you take 'Agni Natchathiram,' it is about two half-brothers and their emotions and those are genuine, which can be made into a very hard-hitting film just that it can be presented in an entertaining fashion. Similarly with 'OK Kanmani,' it is a genuine film; it is not a flippant film just for commercial purposes. Mani Ratnam

Fashion You Emotions Made Those OK Entertaining About Similarly Purposes Take Genuine Very Commercial Just Which Film Presented Two

When your principal artists deliver convincing performances, the film's quality is elevated. Mani Ratnam

Quality Deliver Performance Principal Artists Convincing Your Film Elevated

A written word gets preserved in so many forms. But movies which comprise of both audio and visuals have to be done with care and a lot more details. Mani Ratnam

Word Care Preserved Details Visuals More Both Written Written Word Audio Lot Gets Done Which Forms Movies Many

A song is a burden that you carry happily. Mani Ratnam

You Song Burden Carry Happily

It doesn't matter which genre you're working in, you try to find an honest relationship within that space, and say if it's the romance genre, within that you have to find a story and characters that resonate with an audience. Mani Ratnam

Relationship You Matter Try Space Resonate Say Characters Find Genre Within Audience Romance Story Which Working Honest

Indian cinema will continue to grow, I am very sure. Mani Ratnam

Cinema I Am Will Indian Sure Am Continue Very Grow

Film fests are an opportunity to see different kinds of films that you usually don't get to watch. When I'm part of a jury, then I get to judge films, but otherwise I attend festivals to watch two or three films a day and network with a gathering of cinema lovers from all over. Mani Ratnam

Day You Judge Cinema Opportunity Three Different Kinds Films Gathering Otherwise Kinds See Network Part Attend Over Festivals Get Jury Different Lovers Then Film Watch Two

Unfortunately scripts don't chase me. I chase them. I struggle, battle, discard, pick it back, struggle further, plead with it, curse it, cajole and try to be clever. But it is invariably the script that rules. Mani Ratnam

Me Struggle Battle Try Clever Plead Back Further Rules Invariably Chase Pick Discard Curse Unfortunately Script Scripts Them

Any good film you see gives you enough motivation and adrenaline rush to produce good content, while a bad film can get you so angry that you produce even better content. Mani Ratnam

Good Angry You Better Enough Bad See Rush Gives Adrenaline Content Motivation Get Any While Produce Even Film Good Film

I watch films, so I know what it is to be there in a theatre as the audience. So I always want to communicate with them when I make films, but that is not the only thing. I also want to say something which I feel deeply, and which I feel I can connect with the rest of the audience. Mani Ratnam

Theatre Communicate Rest Films Say I Can I Feel Something Only Feel Know Also Make Audience Always Want The Only Thing Which Them Connect Deeply Thing Watch

For a filmmaker, whether the film is liked, understood or appreciated counts as much as the moolah. Mani Ratnam

Counts Liked Understood Whether Much Film Filmmaker Appreciated

Format is just the language. Content is the only thing that is important. Form is like handwriting. Whether you write in a scribble or clean handwriting or type it, the content remains the same. You want to write in clean hand, in a kind of a clear format only because it is aesthetically pleasing. I can scribble, that's also fine. Mani Ratnam

You Language Important Type Pleasing I Can Kind Fine Only Clean Remains Write Clear Like Also Content Because Aesthetically Hand Same Handwriting Just Want The Only Thing Form Format Whether Scribble Thing