Mani Ratnam birthday: Kamal Haasan pens heartfelt note for 'doyen of Indian cinema'

Director Mani Ratnam celebrated his 67th birthday on Friday (May 2). To commemorate the occasion, Kamal Haasan penned a heartfelt note for the filmmaker. The actor called him the “doyen of Indian cinema” and an “inspiration for the next generation of filmmakers."

Sharing a photo of himself with Mani Ratnam, 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.”  The Vikram star heaped praises on the veteran filmmaker for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking and called their relationship 'enriching.' “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.” 

More on Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam friendship

Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam previously worked together in the 1987 Tamil film Nayakan. The movie centred on Velu Naicker's (Kamal's) steady rise from a common slum resident to a dreaded don. The actor also did the narration for Ratnam’s recent release Ponniyin Selvan 2.

Discussing his friendship with the filmmaker, Kamal expressed his admiration for PS2 in an interview with ANI. He gave Mani Ratnam credit for the movie's success since it took a lot of courage to make a movie of this magnitude. The success of the movie, according to him, is an indication that Tamil cinema is approaching its golden period. Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan will be reuniting in an upcoming project, tentatively titled Kh234. Apart from this, Haasan will also be a part of Indian 2.