JOIN USNo more thrilled by war movies
Mani has always attempted to infuse a slice of reality into all his films. What he sees, experiences and feels are told in the form of a story. “Most of my films are shaped and moulded by events that have influenced my life. Tango Charlie made in 1996 was a film on the militants in Kashmir. It captures the events that take place in the heart of Srinagar. It portrays the impact of war on the psyche of a soldier,” Mani told Metrolife.
Later, his Mukhbir delved into infiltration and border conflict. “War isn’t the best thing to happen to anyone. The film captured the anarchy that ensues any war and conflict. There was a time when war stories excited me; thrillers were all I thought of as a film-maker but now I am slowly growing out of that fold into something else,” confesses Mani.
Mani’s newest project is Knock Out starring Kangana Ranaut, Irrfan Khan and Sanjay Dutt. This promises to be a thriller that will keep you at the edge of the seat. “Thrillers caught my interest as a teenager. Teens usually grow out of thriller at 13 or 14 years but I began veering towards thriller as a teenager. The genre engages both the left and right side of the brain. It fuels the plot and indirectly touches all the nine senses,” he reasons.
When asked what makes a movie click among the people? Mani reasons, “If you can sit through a movie without using your cellphone or messaging, then the movie has caught your attention.” He feels sincerity of purpose and single-minded devotion to the subject at hand can do wonders, “There are times when the film starts on one note and ends on another plane altogether. This arises from insecurity and uncertainty, especially when the director is not sure whether the subject will click or not,” he says.
Why hasn’t Mani made any movie down South? He says that he did talk with Puneeth Rajkumar for bilingual make of Knock Out. “Bilingual projects need a lot of logistics and are complex. So we called it off. But I would like to work with Puneeth in another Kannada movie pretty soon,” he reveals. He says he has watched a couple of Puneeth’s movie and found that he has immense talent that needs to be further explored.
Mani will soon direct a romantic movie, “I would like to steer clear of war and tension for a while and make a romantic movie that’s heart centric and one that can be watched by both the young and old folk,” he says.