Veteran filmmaker Mani Ratnam opened up about his early plans for Alai Payuthey and his collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. He revealed that the original idea was to make Alai Payuthey with the iconic duo, but a crucial element of the story wasn’t fully realized at the time, leading him to shift to Dil Se.
Speaking about his creative process, Ratnam explained, “I wanted to do Alai Payuthey with Shah Rukh and Kajol and I told him the story and he agreed. But I had not cracked the last element of the story… So, we shifted to Dil Se.” It was only after finishing Dil Se that Ratnam was able to solve the missing piece and return to his vision for Alai Payuthey, but not without reservations.
“Once I was finishing Dil Se, I was able to solve this problem… and I was still interested in doing it. You are never sure you got it correct… Even when you’ve written fully, when you shoot, you are looking for something more because it’s still getting constructed,” Ratnam explained.
The Tamil-language romantic musical Alai Payuthey starred R Madhavan and Shalini, and was later remade in Hindi as Saathiya, featuring Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi. The Hindi adaptation of Alai Payuthey was directed by Shaad Ali.
When discussing his approach to filmmaking, he highlighted the importance of actors in bringing the story to life. “Actors have to come and make it alive; if they don’t do so, you can shout at them,” he joked.
Ratnam also reflected on the challenges his earlier films like Roja and Bombay faced with the censor board, but he never felt threatened by the controversy. “You are not taking sides or trying to propagate anything; it’s just the angst, pain. So, I never had that fear,” he shared.
However, he noted that times have changed, and today, he would likely approach certain topics more cautiously. “When I started the film, for a second I didn’t think it will be a problem. Today, probably I’ll think twice before I think of it.”
On the nature of his films, Ratnam clarified that not all of them are political. “Some are,” he admitted, “When I feel I’ve something to reflect, that’s when I make it. And within that story, there will be human beings. It’s politics through human beings.” He emphasized that the political context is always woven into the characters’ personal lives and relationships.
“For me, it’s about reflecting life through characters, through their lives. Whatever you’re trying to say, you weave it through a point of view,” said Ratnam.
