Abhishek Bachchan blossoms into a formidably engaging actor in this eagerly awaited work of popular art. Yuva is that rarity which can be watched both as an entertainer and a vehicle for projecting socio-political ideas.

The easiest thing in the world is to sneer at someone who attempts to be unconventional through conventional routes. In that sense, Mani Ratnam and Michael Mukherjee, his protagonist in his latest film, share the same predicament. Like Ajay Devgan's fascinating character who wants to bring about a change in the social order, Ratnam's cinema signifies tremendous leaps in the way we perceive popular entertainment in this country.

A riveting blend of social message and entertainment is what sets Yuva apart. Like Ratnam's first Hindi film Dil Se, Yuva is an extremely restless film about young characters who are on the lookout for a relevance to their existence.

While Michael wants to use student power to change the festering fortunes of Indian politics, the loutish Lallan (Abhishek Bachchan) just wants a decent life for his wife Shashi (Rani Mukherjee) and himself, and never mind if it's through indecent means. The third and most blithe spirited protagonist, Arjun (Vivek Oberoi), is a commitmentphobic self-seeking wannabe whose plans of making millions in the US go flat when he meets the mesmerising girl-next-door Meera (Kareena Kapoor). Each protagonist extends a fidgety power into the narrative.

Among the many absorbing facets to Ratnam's storytelling is the way he uses time passages in the lives of the various characters and the delightfully inventive modes of plotting, whereby different perceptions are simultaneously projected into the various characters' line of vision. These are proof of a mind that creates cinema through literary devices.

You can almost read between the lines that Ratnam crosses from one protagonist's life into another. The effect is of sea waves lapping against the shore and receding to leave behind tempting tides of significance.

The three-tiered plot creates a sense of lyricism in the plot. Every character fits in the Kolkata milieu without stretching in the larger picture. Yet the existence of the binding cosmic force that keeps watch on Ratnam's world and the world beyond his creation, looms large over the narrative.

The gangster Lallan and his volatile blow-hot, blow-cold relationship with his wife Shashi echoes Manoj Bajpai and Shefali Chhaya's rapport in Ram Gopal Varma's Satya. But beyond that echo of familiarity is an aching originality in every frame, nurturing the characters through a remarkable process of self-discovery. Unlike Dil Se, whose narrative couldn't really hold the audiences, Yuva keeps us glued to the goings-on till the very end, not because it tells a remarkably original story but because the characters come alive here as complete people, full of little gestures and understated personality traits that we may miss at first.

Yuva is like a visit to a strange and warm tropical island. At first the sights and sounds may appear too familiar for excitement. But every shrub and every rock hides a new experience.

It's that subterranean experience that Yuva brings to the surface. Ratnam goes from one level of characterisation to another, weaving in and out of three lives without creating an autonomous self-contained world for each protagonist. The men who tower over the plot are also the tools in the hands of destiny.

More than a film about ideas (so well conceived and executed you wonder why any other filmmaker didn't think of it) Yuva is a walloping entertainer. It's simply impossible to forget the three protagonists and their mesh of karmic adventures. The romantic side to the political parable about a student leader, a hit man and a drifter is brought out so sharply in so little space, you wonder if economy of expression is Ratnam's mainstay.

As in all his earlier films, including the dark and moody Dil Se and Kannattil Muttamittal, Ratnam stuns us with his aesthetic and creative motivations. That intangible essence of life bathes Yuva in a dusky light, creating an atmosphere of enchantment. To speak on the technical skills that have gone into Ratnam's new entertainer would be going into obvious areas of praise. But yes, Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography and Sabu Cyril's artwork create a separate look for each of the protagonist's story.

And now for the performances, so crucial to this character-driven film that any wrong casting could have ruined the symphony of surcharged emotions that hover over the frames. Every performance is terrific -- concrete yet ambivalent. Footage-wise, Ajay Devgan leads the cast, bringing a certain maturity and mellowness in a narrative where tempers and passions run perpetually high. Vivek Oberoi as the jaunty dude is bright and dead-on. He happily complements and buffers Devgan's idealism and Abhishek's amorality.

But the film belongs to Abhishek. As the impetuous hit man who loves his wife to death, Abhishek's eyes and smile rattle us with their sincerity. His Lallan is obnoxious and violent, and yet never anything but a child of an obnoxious and violent social order. This film marks the coming of age for the actor.

In spite of limited footage, the three girls succeed in making a lasting impact. Kareena's role is specially insubstantial. She turns this character trait to her own advantage to create a girl who's at once enigmatic and all there - a bit like the film itself, both mysterious and voluptuous.

A.R. Rahman's music comes alive on screen, creating lashing licks of luscious beats for the characters to chew on. The stunts by Vikram Dharma, involving the skidding Kolkata traffic on the Howrah bridge, are heart-in-the-mouth stuff.

A word on Ratnam's love-making sequences. Why do all the three protagonists pick up their women in an identical way to embrace them tightly? Is this the director's way of telling us that when it comes to matters of the heart and sex, all men are the same? Or are we imagining too much in a casual embrace?

From Rediff.com:

He had two nightmares, confesses Mani Ratnam, arguably one of India's finest directors. The task of shooting a bilingual simultaneously in two languages, with two sets of star casts cannot have been easy.

Yet, Ratnam seems to have come out none the worse. Like all his movies, under the aegis of his production company Madras Talkies do, Aayitha Ezhuthu (Tamil) / Yuva (Hindi) have been the subject of much speculation and hype -- as all of Mani Ratnam's films are.

But as Siddharth, one of the leads in the Tamil version says, 'We at Madras Talkies believe in keeping our traps shut.' And so shut they shall be, about the plotline of this latest offering of Ratnam.

In an extended telephonic interview with Managing Editor Saisuresh Sivaswamy, Ratnam reveals exactly what we should know about the movie. No more. No less. Excerpts:

Be it Roja, Bombay, Dil Se/Uyire or Kannathil Muttamittal, your movies deal with contemporary issues. What issue does Yuva/Aayitha Ezhuthu deal with?

Yuva is contemporary in that it deals with three youngsters, their attitudes. How today's youth, from three different backgrounds, deal with a situation. The film is set against student politics. When you make a film, the bigger picture is to take the heart of the story and managing to convey it on screen. That is the challenge.

Directors normally find it a nightmare to juggle just one cast, and here you have gone made the same movie twice, in Hindi and Tamil. What was your experience?

I had two nightmares (laughs). I have not done this before, and the two movies were shot back to back, not simultaneously. I dealt with two different set of actors, and each brought its own changes. Filmmaking brings its own organic way of doing things, changes, it develops a character of its own.

Did you resort to this because in Dil Se/Uyire, the same cast speaking in two different languages did not gel with the audience, and that the north and south have their own sensibilities?

Dil Se was dubbed into Tamil as Uyire. Dubbing a movie brings its own set of compromises, and you end up losing some of the elasticity.

Abhishek Bachchan plays Madhavan's character in the Hindi version. There is a tremendous buzz about him even though box-office success has so far eluded him. What is your take on him?

I am very happy with Abhishek Bachchan. He has played a very interesting character, and the rest you will see for yourself.

Yuva is a youth film. Although your films are young, two of your previous films -- Thiruda Thiruda and Alai Paayudhey -- also had youth in the centre. Did your experiences with those two movies impact on how you shaped Yuva?

No impact. Once you identify the script and characters are formed, the whole thing just drags you in. There is no baggage. The most important thing is to be honest to this particular script, and not to start off with the intention of making a good film. It depends on the story, and the characters. Each dictates its own rhythm.

The project also earned its share of headlines, what with Vivek Oberoi's accident etc. How was the schedule affected?

That was a most unfortunate thing. Sometimes the most ridiculous things happen and Vivek's accident was one of those. Yes, it did push back the schedule by some three months, but then there is no other choice. It was particularly hard on Vivek.

Yuva is a multi-starrer, which is a sort of break from the past in that this is the first time you have worked with three protagonists.

That is because the script demands three different attitudes. Sometimes films work with just one character, sometimes with more. It all depends on the script, and is built in. I had not done it earlier because the scripts did not require that. There was no specific intention of doing a multi-starrer, it so happened that the story is about three youths. The story decides whether I use new faces or not.

You are also a tech savvy director who constantly pushes the boundaries. You have used sync sound in Yuva. What else is new?

When you do something new, you don't do it in order to do something new but because it is required by the story, because it improves your filmmaking. Sync sound is used now because the story demanded it. These things are done without realising that one is doing something new, because that is not the intention.

Do you have a favourite character among the three protagonists in Yuva /Aayitha Ezhuthu?

I hope not. I hope I have been able to do justice to all three. All three are important aspects to the film, so there is no choosing one over the other. When you see the movie you will be able identify with the characters, not necessarily with just one of them. You will feel at different times, in different circumstances, you are able to identify with all three. That way, each of us has a bit of the characters in us.

The burden of being Mani Ratnam, the pressure of consistently being among India's better directors. How do you handle it?

I ignore it. One knows where one stands, so there is no burden. The only burden is to make the film right, and constantly struggling to make it right. The pressure is enough to not only bring anyone down to earth but also take you a couple of feet under (chuckles).

You don't suffer from pre-release jitters?

The journey of filmmaking is so amazing. You start off with great confidence, and develop insecurity at the time of release. When you are ready with the finished product, you are constantly wondering if you have been honest to the story you started out with, if you got what you wanted. One is too close to the project by then to be objective. You never know if you have been true.

You have said Yuva/Aayitha Ezhuthu is a seed that has germinated with you for some time. How does your creative process work?

Sometimes it is quick and happens fast. Sometimes the seed remains with you for a while, as is invariably the case with me, been with me for two-three films. Unlike in the West where an idea goes into development, with different departments taking over different stages of its development, we work differently here. Sometimes you have not found the writers to develop the script, so it remains with you for a while. After some time it falls into place. Everybody works this way. It is important that you have people around you with the same passion for good films, and have the same flair. That is as important as the story itself.

Actors, and technicians will give their right hand to work with you. Since you can have anyone you want, how do you pick and choose for your movies?

When it comes to casting for movies, it is a priority that you cast right. The guiding principle must be what is right for the movie, that is the basis you cast someone, not because so and so is a friend. It helps to have a wide choice, it makes filmmaking easier. But the priority must be the film, and to be clear about it. Of course, the person you want may not be available, say, then you go for the next best choice.

About Yuva/Aayitha Ezhuthu you have said it is about how three different characters react to the same situation. Do you see a bit of yourself in any of or all the three characters? Is the movie then a vehicle for self-examination?

No, not self-examination. This is true for everybody. Everyone will identify with the characters at different times. About a bit of me in my films, every filmmaker puts a bit of himself in his movies, that's how it is done. Just as every actor puts a bit of himself into every character he plays. In this case it could well be about three different aspects in the same person. When you are in one person's shoes you see things differently, when you are in the other person's shoes you will see it differently yet.

You have also said the kernel is a real-life incident. Do you think you have remained true to the original incident or changed it anyway?

No, it is totally different. That incident I referred to was just the starting point. I have taken the spirit of the person, and this is in no way a real-life drama.

Your films have never used the female character as simply an adornment, rather they have very strongly delineated characters. Your promo material, however, focuses on the male characters?

Wait till you see the film (laughs). I don't use women characters for the sake of using them, this movie calls for very specifically designed characters. They have strong feelings and express them. They are not heroines, they are characters. They all have a mind of their own.

Your wife Suhasini is a talent in her own right, and is an integral part of your filmmaking process. What is her contribution to Yuva /Aayitha Ezhuthu?

She is a critic first. She is the bouncing board for this film. She brings in the objective view, and was involved at the script and the post-production stages. She has the long-distance perspective.

Be it in Roja, Sonu Walia in Dalapathy, Malaika Arora in Dil Se/Uyire, you have used what Bollywood calls 'item number' long before the term became fashionable. Is there one in Yuva?

The songs were not considered 'item numbers' at that point (chuckles). The point is, because I used Sonu Walia from Mumbai it became an item number. Had I used, say, Disco Shanti, it would not be considered an item number.

In Yuva the songs are more an integral part of the story. I had started off saying there will be no songs, and then changed my mind. But when you see the movie you will realise that nothing stands out as a song, but they flow with the story. The music too deals with three different people with three different styles, and is more in tune with the characters.

A R Rahman has said working with you is a two-way give and take. Music is a strong element of your movie-making, and it has a tremendous Tamil idiom. What is the extent of your involvement with Rahman's music?

I don't make, but merely choose, the music. I get to tell Rahman, sometimes push him to what I want, but finally it is up to him to deliver. Rahman is very very director friendly. He is ever ready to go whichever the director wants, the story wants, depending on the kind of movie or the music you want, and within that he finds his niche. It is a constantly complementary process. At the end of the day he is not pleasing you, he has to please himself.

Nayagan was the only movie you and Kamal Haasan, the two powerhouses from Tamil films, worked together. It has been a long time. Are movie buffs to be denied a chance to see you together?

I don't know. Kamal Haasan is a huge talent. We need to have something to offer like Nayagan, we need to cross that benchmark, or at least go up to it. We are not merely doing a project, that is very easy, but we need to something good. As of this moment we have not hit on anything.

From the Western perspective, Bollywood has become an all-encompassing term for Indian cinema. It does not justice to talent like you who are out of the Mumbai film industry, or to the Malayalam and Bengali industries. Does it irk you?

The name itself. Calling yourself after something that rhymes with Hollywood is, well, sad. Obviously they are doing it to identify Indian films, but that is a classification one can grow out of. As long as you are making the kind of films you are happy about, it is okay. One is not in competition with Hindi films.

Making films appealing to the NRI sensibility is the trend now, but Tamil films seem to stay out of it. Do you see yourself making an NRI film?

My focus is on the script, and the characters are rooted here. I don't think it is easy within the script to take them over there and bring them back. I have to be honest to the story I have. If the story is based over there, I will have no problems doing it, but not with this story.

Your films are rooted in the local idiom and have done well for that reason. Dil Se/Uyire was one movie that failed to connect at that level. With the 20:20 vision of hindsight, what could you have done differently?

I don't know. When you make a movie for a year-and-a-half, obviously you are convinced that it is right. Yes, the film didn't do commercially well. Yes, I made a mistake, but that doesn't mean the one-and-a-half years were a lie. It was intended to be right, but some elements didn't work. There could be a few faults, I was aware of them at that time, but despite it I thought we will be able to make the film work. It was confidence. But, then, you get on.

Among all your movies, do you have a favourite, one that you can look at and say, 'yes, this was it'?

No. Probably the next one.

From Newindpress.com:

CHENNAI: The moment Mani Ratnam announces his film - and goes about his work silently - the world around him goes crazy. Now add Ajay Devgan, Rani Mukherji, Abishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Madhavan, Suriya, Siddharth, Trisha and Meera Jasmine to this equation. Is it any wonder that Yuva and Aayitha Ezhuthu are selected for the International Indian Film Academy World Premiere in Singapore?

With only post production work to worry about, Mani Ratnam finally agreed to meet the media - an IIFA pre-condition - on a sleepy Sunday afternoon at his office, the Madras Talkies. An excerpt...

It is said Yuva and Aayitha Ezhuthu are based on a Mexican film, Amores Perros?

What can I say? It is sad that nobody thinks we are capable of doing an original film. Instead of asking me for an explanation, why don't you wait for four more days and see for yourself?

Usually, you make the film in one language and later dub it in other languages. So why is that this time you decided to make it bilingual?

Because, while dubbing the films, a little bit of compromise is built into it. It becomes difficult to avoid a few glitches. For instance, when we dubbed Roja in Hindi, we faced a situation. In the original, the heroine, a Tamil girl in Delhi, is not able to communicate because of the language problem. But in the Hindi version, how do you say that? We ended up pushing a lot under the carpet.

How come you seem to promote the Hindi version, Yuva, more than your Tamil version?

They are two different markets, that is why. If I make a Hindi film, I have to promote it the way it is done in Bollywood.

You seem to have a preference for the actors and actresses that you have already worked with.

You give me an example.

Madhavan?

I needed three male leads, so I signed up Madhavan this time too. But he is doing a role that is diametrically opposite the one he did for my last film. In fact, we are exploring something different here.

Has the reverence that the stars seem to treat you with ever come in your way?

I don't think it's the question of reverence. It's more like distance. I maintain my distance. It's a different thing we wanting to work with one another. But when it comes to work, it's essential to maintain a certain distance.

You seem to pick your actors and actresses right. They almost always fit the the part. How do you do it?

There's no particular way to do it. I am aware that casting is very crucial. It is important that actors fit into the role - helps to shape the characters better. There's no rule as such, I just trust myself.

What is difficult - working with absolute newcomers or stars?

New or experienced, it doesn't matter. It's just that certain roles demand a new face. For instance, I decided on Madhavan for Alaipayuthe because I thought he'd be like a fresh breath of air.

Apparently, you have gone on record saying if you could make Alaipayuthe without September matham, you would have. So are there any commercial ingredients in Yuva and Aayitha Ezhuthu?

My films are commercial from frame one. I don't think commercial is a bad word. Nor do I think that it is a crime to reach across people commercially. Yes, it is true that I am not too keen on songs in general. Five songs a movie is a huge effort. They are a burden and should be incorporated in the film well. At the same time I enjoy filming songs too. I enjoyed making September Matham. I take songs as a challenge.

Some people seem to have gauged the market well. Farah Khan, for instance. Main Hoon Na has all the elements of a box-office success. Have you ever approached films like that?

It is sad if you think that. I don't think filmmaking is about X+Y+Z. You do a film because you believe in it. For Farah Khan, Main Hoon Na must have been something that she wanted to share with people.

Does it hurt when people reject what you hold dear to your heart? You say Kannathil Muthamittal is your favourite, but it flopped in theatres.

Every film is close to me. And yes, it does hurt to an extent. But that doesn't mean I'll analyse the films, trying to figure out what went wrong. Besides, Kannathil Muthamittal is a different genre from Aayitha Ezhuthu. And I make films not just to please you but also myself. Sometimes my confidence is proved right and sometimes it is not.

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From Indiatimes Movies:

Director Mani Ratnam's next film, 'Yuva' is about three young men and their lives, loves and longings. Already much-talked-about for the accident on the sets in Kolkata, when Vivek Oberoi broke his leg, the film is eagerly awaited - it is scheduled to release next week in India after a premiere in Singapore at the IIFA Awards. Ratnam shares some of his 'Yuva'-esque experiences with Indiatimes Movies...

On Kolkata:

Kolkata is a wonderful city, which is full of history and culture. I have enjoyed the exuberance and warmth of the people here. As far as shooting here again goes, why not? If the script demands it and an opportunity presents itself, I will most certainly shoot in Kolkata again. Handling crowds is part and parcel of shooting films on location. Like I said earlier, the people were exuberant because of the stars and, really, they did not cause any undue problems for me.

On coordinating three different couples for the film:

Luckily everything went off well, except the accident that occurred on the sets with Vivek Oberoi in Kolkata - that was unfortunate. Anyway, all that begins well, ends well!

On Kolkata as a location for Bollywood shoots:

Kolkata has a rich heritage of films, art and music. I think if a script is good and demands it, the people of this city can expect many such films to be made here.

On 'Yuva':

This film has been made keeping the problems of today's youth in mind, but it definitely will appeal to a wide spectrum of people. I think this film has a little bit of everything - it definitely will make you sit up and think and, at the same time, it will also entertain you.

On the audience for 'Yuva':

Though this film has been called 'Yuva', and it has been made keeping the problems of the youth in mind, I'd like all sorts of age groups to come and see it and enjoy it.

On the release:

'Yuva' is going to be premiered in Singapore at the IIFA Awards on May 20th and is slated for release all over on the 21st of May. Cinema is a universal medium and I am glad that both 'Yuva' and 'Ayutha Ezhuthu' will be seen by international audiences. And I look forward for them to be accepted worldwide.

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From Mid-Day (By Udita Jhunjhunwala):

Director Mani Ratnam's first (and last) Hindi film was Dil Se, released in 1998. Its boxoffice performance was below par for a filmmaker of Ratnam's reputation who has films like Roja and Bombay to his credit.

Six years later Ratnam is ready with his second Hindi film. Speaking from Chennai, where he lives and works, Ratnam speaks about Yuva...

How do you make a film in a language you do not read or speak?

If the language were in my control, I'd try and get involved everywhere. But since I don't speak Hindi, I trust the actors a lot more. Different actors do roles differently. I try to use that without deviating from the character or from the scene and its flow.

There is a difference in the meaning of the Hindi (Yuva) and Tamil (Ayitha Ezhuthu) titles...

Ayitha Ezhuthu is the last letter of the Tamil alphabet. It is denoted by three dots in a triangle. This is a film about three individuals.

There are strong resemblances between Yuva and the Mexican film Amores Perros (Love's A Bitch).

Not really. There are three stories in my film which are related to one particular route. I'd say that my film is closer to Rashomon. The starting point of my films was the spirit of a person who was at Osmania University.

How did you go about casting for Yuva and why did you decide to cast Esha Deol in both?

Casting is a process. You have to consider who'd be likely to fit in, be available, be interested. Work becomes easier later if there is passion. It was good to get the cast we have. Esha did the Tamil film first and did it quite easily. We have used synch sound and since she knows the language, she could make the transition easily.

A R Rahman and you have worked together since Roja. Is he the only composer you work with?

As long as we are able to inspire each other and enjoy it we'll work together. When it gets stale, we'll need to look ahead. Rahman is big now internationally; he's been great with the score.

Yuva is set in Kolkata. Why there?

It could have been set in any metro. Kolkata has a nice character and ring. Bombay is overused.

Why has it taken you six years to make your second Hindi film and what lessons did you learn about the Hindi film market from Dil Se?

In the six years I made two films Alai Payuthe and Kannathil Muthamittal. Some films cannot be made in any language at all, like Kannathil... - that is rooted in Tamil. Alai Payuthe was made in Hindi as Saathiya. Then Yuva's script came along, and this film could be made in any language.

You learn from every film, especially those not received well. I don't think of it as linguistic audiences, even the Tamil Dil Se was not well received. When a film does not work, there's a flaw in the storytelling.

What next after Yuva?

You usually start ideating for the next project about halfway through the current project itself. But first I want to take a holiday, and catch up with the rest of the world. A film possesses you and takes the wind out of you.

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And from Yuva's official website:

'YUVA' - the title of the film came about the last. The character came several years back, based on the life of a student of Osmania University. The research was done but the structure for the script was not worked out at that point. The germ however remained with me for years.

Last year the structure fell into place. 6 weeks into the shoot the title YUVA was finalized.

When something happens around us, be it good or bad, everyone has a way of reacting to it. Some of us see how it can be useful to us. And if it can, make the best of it and get on.

Some others think that they can step in and help, chip in, contribute, be proactive. They believe in the power of ONE. That each and every individual can make a difference if one puts ones mind to it.

There are certain others, probably the majority of us, especially in this time and age, that believe that if we take care of ourselves the world will take care of itself. These three views form YUVA.

From Mid-Day (By Dinesh Raheja):

When I request the telephone operator to connect me to Mani Ratnam's Chennai residence, her till-then impartial voice suddenly crackles to life.

Mani Ratnam, the famously sensitive storyteller of Roja, Bombay, Nayakan and Dalapati, is obviously a favourite with discerning women viewers.

But what does Ratnam, who has recently directed three women as diverse as Kareena, Rani and Esha in Yuva, think of women?

The brochure of your latest film Yuva claims that it is the story of three young men from three strata of society. After having women play very meaty roles in your Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, why have the women been sidelined this time?

The introduction in the brochure is written by me. It is an honest recap of the story. The story could be about a man or a woman, you cannot focus on everybody all the time. Besides the women in Yuva have defined characters.

What is the most attractive trait in the women characters essayed by Rani, Kareena and Esha in Yuva?

I don't know whether you can call it attractive but they have very distinct characterizations. Rani plays the role of a lower-middle-class LIC agent's daughter, married to a man who is comparatively less educated and from an even lower section of society. Rani believes in her man despite the facts that her parents don't. She is a very strong woman who thinks that she can bring about a change.

Kareena plays a small town girl with a chilled-out attitude. She thinks she possesses clarity: she wants to have uncomplicated fun (with Vivek) and then go back, marry, have children and live happily ever after.

And Esha...?

Esha is the next-door-girl who doesn't mind speaking a few lies and pushing her way around to get what she wants, including the man she loves (Ajay Devgan).

Have these female characters been fleshed out from women you have observed and/or interacted with, or women as you would like to see, or a bit of both?

I think whether it is a male or a female character, it is bound to be a bit of both.

In Yuva, Lalan (Abhishek) physically abuses his wife Sashi (Rani), but she still doesn't forsake him. Do you think a woman in love can take physical abuse in her stride?

I think there should be no physical abuse in a relationship. It is ridiculous to abuse and equally ridiculous to let yourself be abused in any sort.

In that case, why does Rani's character continue to live with her husband, a wifebeater?

Because she knows that essentially he is passionate about her. After Lalan abuses Sashi, he falls at her feet. And she continues to be with him because she has the conviction that she can make a better man of him. Rani's character is not submissive; in fact it is the strongest woman character in the film.

So you are suggesting that if a woman values a relationship enough and she is hopeful about a change, she may stay back?

Probably. If a man or woman is willing to walk out of a relationship the moment something goes wrong, I don't know whether that is the right thing to do.

In Dil Se there is a scene where Preity asks Shah Rukh if he is a virgin. Were you enjoying a reverse joke at a man's desire to seek a virginal wife?

No. 10 years back, a girl would have thought twice before asking a man if he was a virgin but today she would not hesitate to surprise him.

But do you think that even today men prefer their wives-to-be to be virgins?

I don't know. I used the scene to project the girl's confidence. If a boy doesn't choose to answer the girl's question about whether he was a virgin or not, I am sure it would be fine by the girl and she would not give it undue thought.

In all three of your Hindi films - Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se - if I remember correctly, it was love at first sight for your three heroes. Do you think men are so susceptible to a woman's looks even when it comes to love? Wouldn't a man want to know about a woman's personality before he fell in love with her?

Men are fascinated by looks, undoubtedly. But there are instances when it is something beyond that. Incidentally, in Roja, Arvind doesn't fall in love with Madhoo at first sight, he is just caught in a situation in which he decides to marry her.

A well-known writer once remarked that if women were given voting rights they would make sure that there are no bachelors left. Is it true that women seek commitment while men shirk it?

I think both men and women are afraid of commitment. Women are a shade less afraid of commitment because they are brought up in a society where a commitment is the only choice. Since the age of three they are conditioned to believe so.

You think women in India are making any progress?

I definitely think so. But I only wish the changes in attitudes happened much faster.

What changes would you like to see?

The belief that a man and woman are unequal should cease. In smaller towns, this belief is quite prevalent even today.

Does a teenage girl today, enjoy more privileges than her grandmother did in her youth?

The issue I would prefer to address is: Does a teenage girl today enjoy the same privileges as a teenage guy? By and large, girls today are better off than their grandmothers but that's not enough.

Reportedly, your wife Suhasini, a famous director-actress in her own right, joked in an interview that a married woman has to do double duty: after removing her make up, she has to go back home and stand in front of her husband with a cup of coffee. She added that male actors didn't have to do that.

It is an opinion and I don't think it's fair to comment on it till I know in what context she said it. But my wife does run a home and work too and I think it's fantastic. I appreciate not just my wife, but any working woman who runs her home and takes care of her children simultaneously.

What would the world be without women?

Extremely boring. Let's not even talk about it.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

And from The Hindu:

...Many feel that he has not let his female characters develop fully in the film.

Don't say that, please. You are not doing justice to me by saying so. They are not heroines. They are real life characters. I have clearly shown that if a woman wants, she can have her way. If Sasi (Rani Mukerji) accepts defeat, it is only because of anger. She also proves that emotionally she is stronger than her husband. Other women too live the life they want and are a strong support to their men. Still, my film is after all more about male protagonists than females.

From The Telegraph:

Frames, youthful and fresh

Almost 10 months after film-maker Mani Ratnam's crew descended on Calcutta, rambled the streets scouting locales and even ran into an accident while on the Setu sets, Yuva has hit the city full blast.

For Calcuttans, catching a show of the blockbuster shot extensively in the city is proving to be the best thing to do on a summer morning, afternoon, evening or even night. After all, what's better than spending time with stars and the city?

Our city, their city

Rani Mukherjee and Abhishek Bachchan playing football on the Maidan, Vivek Oberoi and Kareena Kapoor romancing in a tram trundling out of Esplanade depot, Ajay Devgan striding out of the Presidency College portico... There's a bit of Calcutta in almost every frame of Yuva. It's fresh, different and romantic, seen through the eyes of an outsider.

The two bridges on the Hooghly for instance - here a panoramic sweep, there a silhouette, or a bird's eye-view. Cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran's lens has even discovered some nooks and crannies to show the city in a way few of us have seen it.

"The city has so much character... The old bridge is very interesting. My favourites are a low-angle shot of the old bridge, beside which Om Puri addresses a rally, and the tram sequence with Vivek and Kareena. Mani was initially skeptical about shooting in Calcutta, thinking that it would be difficult to control the crowds. But we were stunned by the way people cooperated with us," said Chandran.

Up close

"Oi je, dekh, dekh, dekh... O maaa, ki dekhte..." Calcutta got its first glimpse of a galaxy of stars up, close and personal for days on end. The second Hooghly bridge, the streets, the Maidan, the Victoria Memorial, Metro Railway, Metro cinema, Presidency College, Writers' Buildings... Ajay, Abhishek, Vivek, Rani and Kareena were anywhere, anytime. The fortunate few got a glimpse of the real, for others the reel beckons.

Setu slip

Vidyasagar Setu. July 16, 5.10 pm. An action-packed stunt sequence goes awry. Vivek running along the bridge, with Abhishek hot on his heels, skids on the rainwashed road. The stuntman on motorcycle rams into Vivek's left leg. Watching the mishap, director Ratnam suffers a blackout. Both are rushed to hospital, stunning the cast, crew and Calcutta with this bone-crunching twist in the tale.

Vivek voiceover

"About the bridge shots, I have mixed feelings because of the accident, but I am grateful to Calcuttans for standing by me and praying for my recovery... The spirit of Calcutta is amazing. And the tram is a wonderful place to romance, more than the buses in Mumbai, as it has such a colonial, old-world charm. Kareena and I went through all the stations during the shoot... The food was amazing, too. Abhishek, Ajay and I would eat as if there was no tomorrow. I would gorge on mishtis, especially rosogolla and nalen gurer sandesh. I also loved the shorshe machh and kasundi."

Cal call

At INOX and Metro, weekdays are looking more like weekends. Serpentine queues and house-full signs are the order of the summer holidays. The city's sole multiplex - where Yuva has been declared a "hit" - has seen a footfall of 7,950 in the first six days of screening. Many in the crowd remember the excitement the shooting and Vivek's accident had caused in Calcutta.

For some it was the look - "I didn't know Calcutta was so beautiful," gushed Mousumi Gupta, stepping out of a matinee show at Metro.

For others it was the feel - "The trade union movement has been portrayed really well. Neither extreme, nor too subdued," mused Dipanjan Roy of Asutosh College.