Suhasini’s remark that only ‘qualified’ people should review films has irked a lot of controversy in the online space. When asked about Suhasini’s comments in a recent interview, Mani Ratnam has a lucid, outspoken view on the same topic. “I think it shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted the way she said it. Maybe she didn’t say it right. I know she was talking about professional criticism and had requested everybody at the event to continue supporting our films like they have always. But no matter what anybody says, including Suhasini, you can’t stop people from sharing their opinion,” said Mani Ratnam.
“Cinema is public art and people have the right to express what they feel about it. Today, there’s a platform for sharing opinions and it can get multiplied tremendously. We can only take the feedback and use it for giving a better product the next time. There will always be criticism but how somebody puts it across makes a whole lot of difference. If it’s genuine criticism, it should be welcomed. There was criticism in Kadal, and I didn’t have any issue with it. I just took it in my stride,” added Mani Ratnam.