When I finished composing the review, I logged into my blog and found that my last post was about Ramayana. What a coincidence.
Sometimes you just have to let it out! You have to stand for what you think even though the rest of the world is against you!
About a month back in Oklahoma, I was thinking of some of the best of Mani’s work to watch. I was shocked to find that there were only 3 movies that I adored – Dil Se, Iruvar and Mouna Ragam. Others were good, but were superficial and lacked the indepth element these movies possessed. I love Aytha Ezhuthu, alaipayuthey, agni nakshatram, guru et all. But the 3 movies shook me and grew on me every time I saw them. I had no such hopes when I took off to watch Raavan. I went with an open mind and was sure I would be entertained. The result, I have discovered another movie that I can add to the list and I feel with this movie Mani Rathnam has reached new heights.
Some of the things I truly loved about this movie.
1) Aby, Aby , Aby- I think he is the best. He has acted amazingly well.
2) The scene where they fight- Ranjha Ranjha background ( Reminds of a fight in Dil Se)
3) The scene after the fight where he asks her to stay with him
4) The scene near the idol where he talks about jealousy
5) The last scene where he tells her what he told Dev
6) The reversal of dialogue- Bak Bak Bak Bak
7) Not bringing up anything physical – IT seemed like pure eternal love
8) The idea of the movie – What if Raavan was indeed a good person and Ram had some shades of evil? Would Sita still have lived with Rama?
9) The background music – I think Rehman has got his magic back. I did not listen to such BGM in Kannathil Muthamittal, Guru, Aytha Ezhuthu. I heard it in Dil Se, Iruvar, Roja, a little bit in Alaipayuthey. The background music seemed to tell me about Beera’s love. The magic of Rehman and Mani- amazing.
10) The dialogues in the climax. They just melt my heart. I felt if someone loved me like this, I could just die.
11) The concept of love with a married woman. How intense must the love be to love her even after knowing that she cannot be attained. The love has to be ten thousand times more intense than falling in love with an unmarried. This love is not about lust. It is true love. The jealousy definitely makes the love more beautiful.
12) If Raavan had not died , the love would have been ordinary. Raavan dying seemed to have made the love so beautiful.
13) Music of Raavan. I did not like it the first time. But after the movie , I understand the depth of Behne De and Thok De Gilli. I love Khilli re, awesome choreography.
14) I liked Aby’s brother. Don’t know who he is, but he is great.
Things I did not like about the movie
15) I liked the title and the title song. The movie starts with an impact. Raavan burning the police men.
Things I did not like:
1) Typical Bollywood style revenge story
2) Priyamani’s part – total waste
3) Govinda’s character – unwanted except for comedy( Govinda did a great job though)
4) Unwanted analogies to Ramayan – Sniffing by Priyamani, Govinda going as a messenger, a brother like Vibishen.
5) The character of Dev.At times it seemed he did not love Ragini at all. Killing Beera’s brother would have definitely provoked Beera to kill Ragini(simple logic). He uses her to find Beera. The character need not be this evil for Ragini to dislike him.
6) At points dragging second half.
Most of all this movie got me thinking of the conflict between Ramayana and Bhagavath Gita. Bhagavath Gita says, “ What was yours today, will be somebody else’s tomorrow.” By that idea, Rama should have let Sita live with Raavana, it is not like Rama owned Sita. Why did they both suffer for 14 years? And Sita had to go back to the forest again. Ragini also suffers because of Dev’s profession. It is said Ramayana was written to show men how to live. I feel women all over the world live like Sita. Ultimately most of the women end up choosing men who are like Dev. What if they find someone like Beera after marriage?
Marriage is like a boundary the society makes for a woman. For the sake of the society should the woman let go of the more beautiful life? Or would the marriage make Beera another Dev? I would never get these answers. I am grateful that Beera is dead. I can think for life that he truly loved Ragini.
I love Mani, I am sure he is Beera. The creation of this love did not come out of vacuum. I rank this one of Mani’s best, next only to Iruvar.
