Mani Ratnam: I haven’t seen Dil Se in 25 years, so I don’t know how it has stood

On August 21, 1998, Mani Ratnam's Hindi debut Dil Se, titled Uyire in Tamil, hit theatres. It has been 25 years since its release, the film is still one of the celebrated ones of the auteur. 

Recently in an interview, the filmmaker revealed that he hasn't watched the film ever since its release 25 years ago. Talking to Scroll, Mani said, "I haven’t seen the film in 25 years, so I don’t know how it has stood. I have only seen bits and pieces, and that too on mute – or any of my other films, for that matter."

While the film has its fanbase, some viewers have criticised the lack of clarity in establishing the nativity of Manisha Koirala's character Moina. Responding to the criticism, he said, "The reason was, there were several troubled border states, and we were looking for a representative story. Otherwise, it would have become a story of a particular place. The film represented several places that were going through turmoil."

Starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala in the lead, Dil Se revolved around insurgency in the North-Eastern parts of India. While Shah Rukh plays an All India Radio employee, Manisha plays the role of a North-East terrorist sleeper cell member. 

Preity Zinta also played an important role in the film, which also stars  Mita Vasisht, Arundhati Rao, Raghubir Yadav and Zohra Sehgal. The soundtrack of Dil Se, composed by Mani Ratnam's frequent collaborator AR Rahman, continues to be of popular liking, even after 25 years.