Suhasini Maniratnam recalls feeling intimidated by Chiranjeevi: ‘I am Kamal Haasan’s niece — you forgot that?’

Actor Suhasini Maniratnam — wife of director Mani Ratnam and niece of Kamal Haasan — has shared the screen with megastar Chiranjeevi in several films, including Manchu Pallaki (1982), Kirathakudu (1986), and Aradhana (1987). At the IFFI 2025 session titled The Luminary Icons: Creative Bonds and Fierce Performances on November 21, the actor opened up about feeling intimidated by him early in her career. She also revealed that Chiranjeevi had once asked her to “do better” during a scene, having only known her as a cameraperson before she became an actor.

Suhasini Maniratnam recalls feeling intimidated by Chiranjeevi: ‘I am Kamal Haasan’s niece — you forgot that?’
Actor Suhasini Maniratnam — wife of director Mani Ratnam and niece of Kamal Haasan — has shared the screen with megastar Chiranjeevi in several films, including Manchu Pallaki (1982), Kirathakudu (1986), and Aradhana (1987). At the IFFI 2025 session titled The Luminary Icons: Creative Bonds and Fierce Performances on November 21, the actor opened up about feeling intimidated by him early in her career. She also revealed that Chiranjeevi had once asked her to “do better” during a scene, having only known her as a cameraperson before she became an actor.