Why Mani Ratnam Said He 'Can Never Make' Comedy Films

Critically acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam admitted that he cannot make comedy films despite how much he loves the genre.

Filmmaker Ratnam interacted with the media during the promotion of his upcoming film Thug Life in Delhi, which also stars Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR and Trisha Krishnan in the lead.

During a press conference, the Nayakan director opened up about his favourite genre and said he chooses to only watch comedy films.

"The genre I like most, I am not good at them, so I don't make them. I just watch it. He (Kamal Haasan) does comedy, and it's unbelievable the comedy films he does, and I can never make them," Ratnam said. "So, I just watch."

However, Haasan said it isn't that Ratnam cannot make comedy films, but he just chooses not to.

"...That's what I think. I have spoken to him. He is not those people who are very serious when we joke, this gentleman laughs," Haasan said. "So he gets it. But somewhere, he has kept himself that way."

During a recent interview with ANI, Ratnam got candid about being called a "dream director".

"Some people would like the dream to remain a dream," he quipped.

Explaining his collaborative process with the actors, the Anjali, Thalapathy and Roja director said, "So, it's not like you wanting to work with several actors ..(It's a two-way process)... But that just shows how much you appreciate their talent and how much they like this kind of film. You should have something, especially if they really like to work with you."

"I should have something to offer," he said.

"I can't just take a film because they want to work with me," Ratnam said. "I should be able to give them something a little more or almost as good as what they've done before."

Co-written by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, Thug Life will release in theatres on June 5.

The film also features Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, and Rohit Saraf.

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