Kamal Haasan pens note on Mani Rantam’s 67th birthday, says he is ‘inspiring next generation of filmmakers’

Kamal Haasan has shared a sweet birthday note for filmmaker Mani Ratnam. Kamal lent his voice to Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 2 which has Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Karthi, Sobhita Dhulipala in the lead roles. Kamal has written that Mani is inspiring the next generation of filmmakers who will take his legacy forward. Also read: Kamal Haasan on Ponniyin Selvan 2: Mani Ratnam and team have worked together to make Tamil cinema international

Kamal Haasan’s note for Mani Ratnam

Sharing a happy picture of them together, Kamal wrote, “If one were to count life by the happiness that they create around them and if age is calculated by the friends around you, my dear #ManiRatnam you are going to be a much older man today! A doyen of Indian Cinema who has touched the hearts of millions through his art and one who transformed dialogues into a lovely visual experience.”

He further added, “You have constantly pushed the boundaries of cinema unmindful of the scale of challenge by constantly learning. Today you are a master inspiring the next generation of filmmakers through whom your legacy shall reverberate perpetually. From Nayakan to #KH234, our journey together has been personally rewarding and enriching for me. Many more happy returns of the day and more to come my friend! #HappyBirthdayManiRatnam.”

When Mani Ratnam directed Kamal Haasan

Kamal had played the lead role in Mani’s 1987 Tamil film Nayakan. It revolved around the gradual transformation of Velu Naicker (Kamal) from an ordinary slum dweller to a feared don.

Kamal Haasan praised Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan

After a successful first installment last year, Ponniyin Selvan 2 released in April and was praised by the critics and audience alike. Giving credit to Mani for the film’s success, Kamal had said that the filmmaker is taking Tamil cinema to its golden age. He wrote on Twitter, “Mani Ratnam takes a lot of valour to do a film of this size like a production. Mr Mani Ratnam, the team the cinematographer, the musician, everybody they have worked together to make Tamil cinema international. And this is people that have embraced which is a good sign that Tamil Cinema is probably moving towards the golden age and expected to go in that direction. It’s a very moving moment for two friends who started speaking about cinema and he has gone ahead and done it.”