Mani Ratnam and Anurag Kashyap | Photo Credit: PTI, Hindu
Veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam has addressed the recent comments made by director Anurag Kashyap, who criticized the growing use of English songs in Tamil film songs. Kashyap had said that with the rise of bilingual and English-intellectual music in South Indian cinema, the trend “did not understand at all”.
In an interview with Hollywood Reporter IndiaRatnam responded to criticism in terms of his upcoming film thug LifeWhich includes a track titled “Sugar Baby” with major English songs. Ratnam said that such options are directed by creative fit rather than a certain formula.
“You don’t go with the rules saying this,” I will only do this, “he said. “If it seems right, you take steps that seem right for you. Why do you box yourself with some false grammar?”
Ratnam insisted on his long -time respect for the Tamil language and its literary heritage, given that many of his previous cooperations with composer R Rahman have drawn on Tamil poetry. However, he said that there is a place for a mixture of styles. “If you ever need a ‘Chinese baby’ and it feels right, you go for it,” he said.
He also rejected the idea that English songs are used only to appeal to the young audience. “It doesn’t make a product alone. It is not enough to try to be young and try to calm down,” Ratnam said. He explained that the audience responds to authenticity, not the trends and that stylistic options should serve the story and the characters.
When relevant to younger generations, Ratnam compared it by writing about unfamiliar topics. “If you want to write a script based on mafia people, you have never been one. But you still write movies based on it,” he said.
Ratnam is currently promoting thug LifeWhich has Kamal Haasan and has a dress artist including Silambaron, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lakesmi and Pankaj Tripathi. Ratnam and Haasan have the first cooperation since the film Naikan In 1987.
Published – May 28, 2025 11:49 am IST
