Much kindness from a reader. Thank you Ravishankar.
Dear Sir
I was gifted the book ‘Conversations with Mani Ratnam’ recently by a talented “kid” in my office for my birthday.
Contrary to what I expected it was an extremely breezy read. I read Conversations with Hitchcock by Truffaut twenty five years ago in college and I found this atleast as good.
To paraphrase many movie critics – You’ve gone beyond the script and the director. In fact I thought in some places Mani came up short by responding irritably to your very valid phrase “Masala pitch”.
I’m sending you a cartoon to show my appreciation which I drew myself under my nickname Zola (I’m an accountant by day and a wannabe writer and cartoonist by night and a dutiful householder on weekends :(( .
Request you to post the cartoon on your blog /website as an offerring from a grateful fan.
best
S.Ravishanker (https://thezolazone.wordpress.com/)
Baradwaj Rangan 
Santosh Kumar T K
November 11, 2015
so BR, how long before your review TL;DR appears seated inside two olive branches before the movie starts? 🙂
also, that legend about people clapping and hooting when PC’s name appeared on the title cards is actually true then!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Venkatesh
November 11, 2015
I second Mr. Ravishankar! Never did I read an interview of Mani Ratnam that’s both coherent and engaging.
BTW, was PC the first DOP, down south, who got applause whenever his name showed up on the screen?
LikeLiked by 1 person
the BRangan fan
November 11, 2015
sir,
if your life was taken as a film,who would be the hero and what would be the title??
LikeLike
vasuvasudevan
November 11, 2015
An interesting thought, why not a conversation with the legend, P C Sreeram?
LikeLike
Ram Murali
November 11, 2015
Very nicely done, Ravishankar!
Venkatesh – I don’t know if they necessarily received applause when their name showed up on screen but I think that Vincent (Director Sridhar’s Man Friday), Balu Mahendra and Ashok Kumar were the DOPs who got tremendous acclaim for their work before PC came along.
I have a PC story to share…
I remember once going in an autorickshaw. My friend and I were talking about how lovely the “Kadhal KavithaigaL” song from “Gopura Vaasalile” was. I almost fell out of the auto when the auto driver cheerfully invited himself to our conversation and said, “Aiyyo andha padam-aa…PC Steeram oda photagraaapi-nu poana, blade-aa irundhuchu paa. Enamo baanupiriya-va paatha thirupthi!”
I was so stunned that somebody went to the theater just because the photography was by PC!
LikeLiked by 1 person
sravishanker1401gmailcom
November 11, 2015
Dear Rangan
Really appreciate your posting the cartoon on your blog.
Im one of many who view it as the way the audience has evolved over 2 decades.
Ofcourse, the tamil speaking audience is always special.
Really enjoy your reviews.
My favourite phrase of yours is the from the Viswaroopam review “Why does the heroione have to sound like she is teleported from Myalpore.
best
Ravishanker
LikeLiked by 1 person
brangan
November 11, 2015
the BRangan fan:
Hero: T Rajendar
Title: Oru Thalai Vimarsanam
LikeLiked by 4 people
Santosh Kumar T K
November 11, 2015
“jushhht i yam osking for orgument sake suppose I break and shake the physical and mental fitness of the director/auteur… … what your stannnnnnd?!”
the actress (Gauthami 😛 ) “first of all you must understand the BO numbers, the trade analyst, her argument and her witness are strong, very strong…”
bwahhahahahahahaha
LikeLiked by 1 person
Venkatesh
November 11, 2015
Ram Murali, I was actually looking for these names!
My case was more or less the same as the auto-rickshaw driver’s, when I watched Gopura Vaasal a few years back. I personally think he was at his best, whenever he collaborated with Mani Ratnam; there are a few exceptions though. Outside of the MR circuit, I can hardly think of films which speak for himself!
LikeLike
Santosh Kumar T K
November 11, 2015
Venkatesh: PC’s best work outside madras talkies, or not: Thevar Magan! 🙂
LikeLike
vijay
November 11, 2015
On a serious note, if somebody here would be willing to attempt “Conversations with T.Rajendar” I would join the queue to buy it (or watch it if you can host it in youtube)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Santosh Kumar T K
November 11, 2015
Vijay: what style will likely be followed? the british constitution, or the american constitution?
we can do both.
LikeLike
vijay
November 11, 2015
” Enamo baanupiriya-va paatha thirupthi!””
That auto driver had some taste. The 80s and early 90s had actresses who could effortlessly switch between glamorous and serious roles, some could do both, some were specialists in either one of the departments. Contrast this with today’s scenario, when most of them strive to bring a film down by a few notches. This is where Tamil cinema has taken its biggest beating, apart from (music/film) directors with very little or no music sense whatsoever.
LikeLike
Ram Murali
November 12, 2015
if your life was taken as a film,who would be the hero and what would be the title??
Hero – Siddharth (the thinking actor)
Title – Paen-aytha Ezhuthu (to be read as paena ezhudha ezhuthu!)
LikeLike
Ram Murali
November 12, 2015
I loved PC’s work in “Mugavari.”
LikeLike
Nathan
November 12, 2015
Enga thala Enga thala Bee Aaru
Judgimentula thaarmaaru
Mani kitteye pesinaaru
Unmaya solla vecchaaru
Ada inga thaan da thala ninnaaru
Branganakaa nakaa nakaa
Branganakaa nakaa….
LikeLiked by 3 people
brangan
November 12, 2015
Nathan: ROFL. You’ve really made that TR connection come true 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Venkatesh
November 12, 2015
BR, this was by far the best interview of TR, I’ve ever come across. 🙂 If you’re really serious about ‘Conversations with TR’, you can come up with a much better one, I’m sure!
LikeLike
sravishanker1401gmailcom
November 12, 2015
Ram Murali – Thanks for your kind comments.
You’re really rocking in the thread above.
re:brangan fan’s post “Oru Thalai Vimarsanam” ROFL.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sravishanker1401gmailcom
November 12, 2015
Santhosh Kumar T:
Superb take on TR / Gauthami dialogue
LikeLike
Santosh Kumar T K
November 12, 2015
also, BR, since there is context now:
back in late July/August this year in NYC, i had your book open on Kindle, there was a couple next to me with the hard copy. we got talking. (needless to say your book was such a reference, conversation starter both then and all the talks that ensued later everywhere.)
the atmosphere was serene with some tolerable piped music in the background. general folks walking about calmly.
then there was the subject of the book walking nonchalantly in the vicinity. it was, to me, surreal! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Venkatesh
November 12, 2015
//PC’s best work outside madras talkies, or not: Thevar Magan! //
Santosh Kumar T K: Ah, that documentary. 🙂
LikeLike
Vignesh Sankar
November 13, 2015
This is extremely moving. Fantastic caricatures. About Mani rathnam and Pc, I can go and on. My first movie which I remember watching was roja way back in 1st standard. I was blown away by the camera work of PC when I was in 9th standard watching alaipayuthey in summer vacation, I actually realised what a camera does to a movie.
So the craze and fan following for both these legends started off from my school days and its still going strong. Whenever its Mani and Pc, its always special.
LikeLiked by 1 person
sravishanker1401gmailcom
November 13, 2015
Vignesh Sankar :
Many Thanks for your thumbs up !
LikeLike
Vignesh Sankar
November 13, 2015
Ravishanker : Your welcome 🙂
I agree with vasuvasudevan,a book on conversations with pc sriram would definitely be an interesting read on his various innovative camera angles and shots. Shall I assist you Mr. Rangan in preparing for the interview or just sit silently next to you when u interview ? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cyrus Poncha
November 13, 2015
Fantastic !!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ram Murali
November 13, 2015
Vignesh Sankar – sorry if I misunderstood your comment. But PC was not the DOP for Roja. It was Santhosh Sivan.
LikeLike
Vignesh Sankar
November 13, 2015
Ram Murali : Being a big Mani rathnam movie freak,I do know that roja was shot by Santhosh sivan and not Pc 🙂 I was referring to the first movie that I remember watching properly. (Though I do know that I sat for thalapathy :p but don’t remember much)
I meant the craze and fan following for Mani movies started with standard 1. Same goes with ar Rahman. His big fan and follower. Especially look forward to Mani arr albums where arr enters into his god mode.
LikeLike
Ram Murali
November 13, 2015
All – I had written an article on BR a while ago. After I saw this post, I asked BR (via e-mail) if I could share the link to my write-up and he said, yes. Have a look if time permits.
http://thinkinggotloud.blogspot.com/2014/10/inspirations-16-of-25-baradwaj-rangan.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ram Murali
November 13, 2015
Vignesh Sankar – yes, I had the feeling that I may be misinterpreting your comment which is why I started my comment with a disclaimer. Isn’t it amazing that Thalapathy, Roja, Iruvar and Dil Se look all so different from one another despite being shot by the same DOP? Says something about Mani’s vision and his strong collaboration with his cinematographers…
LikeLike
Vignesh Sankar
November 14, 2015
Ram Murali – I am glad you got it. Great knowing you and thanks for giving me a chance to talk about Mani Sir and his work.
The list you mentioned was all shot by Santhosh Sivan (I am his big fan too). Their collaboration is also as good as Mani-PC Sreeram or can say, beyond comparison as both are legends in their own way.
I have thought on the same lines as you. To elaborate, I am sure Mani Sir discusses the genre of the movie with his DOP in depth to the get the right kind of camera angles to reflect the content of the movie. Simplest example being, the highlight of sun in almost all frames of Thalapathy in the background when Rajni appears (Karna-Sun connection). The quick and vast forest shots for Raavanan considering its a kidnap movie based in a forest.
I like the manner in which he extracts the best out of his DOP’s. I am sure they all look up to his vision and translate it on screen considering the perfectionist Mani Sir is.
LikeLike
Divya Venkattu
January 18, 2016
brangan – Honestly, T.Rajendar? Excellent choice, no kidding 😛
And good pun in the title, although it sounds like an 80’s movie name.
LikeLike