Legendary director Mani Ratnam, who is currently gearing up for the release of his next film Thug Life, is a celebrated filmmaker known for delivering some of Tamil cinema’s most iconic films.
His notable works include Nayakan, Roja, Bombay, Iruvar, Dalapathi, Sakhi, and OK Bangaram.
Recently, he was asked why Tamil cinema has not been able to produce 1000 crore films like Tollywood or Bollywood.
Why isn’t Kollywood delivering 1000-crore grossers?
Mani Ratnam responded:
“Which is more important—box office or quality films? Earlier, audiences focused on quality. Now, it’s all about business. I hope this shift doesn’t kill quality in the future. I can’t make films just for the box office.”
While his response sounds idealistic, it also feels outdated. Does he really believe that only bad films make 1000 crores? Were Baahubali, Dangal, or RRR lacking in quality? Were Jawan or KGF poor films?
These films managed to deliver both entertainment and quality, proving that commercial success and good cinema can go hand in hand.
Instead of addressing the real issues, Mani Ratnam chose to frame it as a debate between quality and box office—a narrative that’s been used too often to deflect criticism.
He could have acknowledged that Tamil cinema has yet to make films that appeal to all sections of the audience like Telugu or Hindi films do.
It would’ve been more honest to accept that Kollywood is lagging behind and to speak about the challenges holding it back.
Unfortunately, he chose the safer route—avoiding introspection and falling back on an overused argument.
