Mani Ratnam calls Oscar winner A. R. Rahman, an 'enigma'

Mumbai, May 22 (IANS) National Award-winning filmmaker Mani Ratnam, who is awaiting the release of her upcoming film ‘Thug Life’, has called his frequent collaborator A. R. Rahman, an “enigma”.

The filmmaker spoke with IANS, and shared that Rahman’s working style is very different, as he doesn’t create music within the boundaries of a scene. He said that Rahman, who boasts of an Oscar and a Grammy awards, creates a soundscape as per the mood of the film.

Mani Ratnam told IANS, “Rahman in a way, is an enigma. It is not necessarily that you have to set a mood for him. He doesn't necessarily take only a scene or a situation (and work on it). He knows the feel for the whole film and he starts thinking of the music, the soundscape for the entire film. So it is slightly broader and within that he is somebody who is still searching”.

He further mentioned that Rahman goes a step further from what is expected out of him, every single time. Afterall, Oscars and Grammys don’t come easily.

The director said, “He is not somebody who is settled and says I can give you whatever you want. He doesn't give me what I want. He gives something more. He also gives what he wants to give. So it is a question of us finding a common ground”.

Recently, the song ‘Sugar Baby’ from ‘Thug Life’ was released. The song has been composed by the Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer A. R. Rahman, and features actress Trisha Krishnan delivering a dazzling dance performance that’s impossible to look away from.

‘Thug Life’ stars Indian cinema legend, Kamal Haasan, and marks his 2nd collaboration with the National Award-winning auteur Mani Ratnam after almost 4 decades. The two last worked together in ‘Nayakan’.

Produced by Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies, R. Mahendran, and Siva Ananth, ‘Thug Life’ is all set for a worldwide theatrical release on June 5, 2025.

--IANS

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