Romance has always been my favourite genre. But, romance on screen is quite tricky. I’m no Mani Ratnam to talk about film making. But, I certainly know that there are very few films where the romance is really quite romantic and classy. Romance is a thin line with love on one side and lust on the other. Lust can wither away with age. Even, love might as lust does, or vice versa. But, romance will never fade away with age.
When you drink coffee, there is that amount of hotness which most people prefer. That thin range of hotness, that you can just manage to drink. Beyond that point, either it’s just too hot that it’ll burn your tongue. Or, it’s just a little too cold that you don’t feel quite coffee-ish while you drink.
If you’re someone who’s tried alcohol, you would probably be able to relate to this. That feeling when you’re high and happy, that thin range. If you go beyond that, you’re probably going to spoil your night and get wasted. If you don’t reach that range, you’re probably going to not feel the high or kick as much as you wanted to.
That thin range is romance. But, most Indians overdo it or underdo it, and its most commonly lust, if not love (in movies atleast). Latter is better comparatively, as the former is dangerous in the longer run.
Isn’t that why Indians often get wasted as they drink alcohol beyond limits? Drinking isn’t necessarily a bad habit. But I think the fact that most of us overdo it, makes it dangerous.
Okay, let’s not contaminate romance with too much of alcohol.
So then, that thin range is quite a rarity these days. The odds of someone being romantic and they meeting somebody who would be romantic enough to understand their romance, is very negligible.
When it is so difficult in real life, it is surely not an easy job to bring the romance on the camera especially when you have two people artificially romancing in front of a huge camera and a hundred people around watching you without batting a eye lid. It is not shocking that classy romance is quite a rarity in films, and most Indian film makers choosing to go the age-old-lusty way.
There comes the legend, Mani Ratnam. I might have bored you with the word ‘romance’ for quite a while now. But then, if you were to define romance in a single word, it should be ‘Subtlety’. The more subtle it gets, the more romantic it ought to be. Mani Ratnam is the king of subtlety. In his movies, the dialogues are quite short and subtle, but yet very powerful and touchy.
Alaipayuthey- The simple yet super romantic scene where Karthik proposes to Shakthi, is still one of the best pick up lines ever. Even at the climax, when she says ‘Theriyaadhu, aana I love you’ (the same dialogue which Karthik tells her earlier in the movie) is just pure class. He could have had a long dialogue justifying how much he loves her. He could have had a lusty kiss to finish it off. But he chose to just end it with a simple ‘Theriyaadhu aana I love you’, which conveys what a 1000 words if not more could have.
Various shades of romance are evident in all of his films. Be it Iruvar, where he brings politics and cinema, and still manages to score points with his subtle dialogues. Or Mouna Raagam, where they hardly ever talk if not for a few words, which still manages to make you choke emotionally, even if it is your 124th time.(random exaggeration to prove the point- please ignore).
Aayuthu Ezhutha has to be my all time favourite Mani Ratnam movies in terms of shades of romance that were portrayed.
On one end, there is Surya with his radical views, with touches of serious love combined with true romance. My favourite dialogue has to be the one he tells during the bike ride, about how he doesn’t believe in the institution of love and marriage, which later ends by Michael asking her to come home, if she loves him, which is a subtle contradiction to his views on love.
On the other end, there is the beasty and lusty Inbashekar. With another shade of lusty-beasty-romance. The lyric of the song ‘Sanda Kozhi’ is going to be my favourite in this story. ‘Saiva muththam koduththaa, Oththu pogha maattaen, Saaghasaththa kaattu, Seththu pogha maattaen’.
In the middle, we have Arjun and Meera, which is a shade of pure romance to start with. Two people who believe in that thin range, however long or short it lasts. Only to end it the Michael way, when they realise they cannot part ways as easily as they thought they could. My favourite dialogue has to be the one Arjun tells while crossing the road, before Meera gets in to the auto ‘Unna paathidhikapram Chennai eh clean ah theridhu, nee sirrikumbodhu, nenjikkunadolle yaaro torch light on panre maari irrika’ , this with ARR’s amazing BGM gives me goosebumps even I watch the movie for the n’th time
What makes all these 3 stories romantic?
It’s that subtlety. How subtle they manage to show their love is what makes it a treat to watch. ‘Subtlety of romance’ is more romantic than the ‘romance of romance’.
That’s the power of subtlety.
Mani Ratnam is a master of subtlety.
I was watching this interview of a director who was very proud about the fact that he uses his heroines only as a tool for glamour. To say the least, I wonder if such directors have even watched good movies before they became directors. Makes me wonder how producers decide to invest on such letcherous minds. No wonder I haven’t watched any of his movies. Trailers, if not such interviews, are more than enough to judge such directors.
Yes, I agree, there are a few classy directors too. But very few to say the least. My favourite has to be Gautam Menon. He might not be as subtle as Mani Ratnam, but everybody has their own style. That’s what makes him special. He is subtle in his own way. Though there is some sort of similarity among all his lead roles, there is a subtle stand out feature in each of them. I think, my love for Gautam Menon would need another blog post. I have watched VTV for more number of times than he, himself would have.
I’m not the first day first show kind of fan. But, the only movies I would make sure I watch on the first day if not the first weekend, are Mani Ratnam and Gautam Menon movies.
Romance is slowly dying, these days. So are movies with classy romance and directors who believe in subtlety.
Such directors would never fade away in terms of quality of films they make. Even if they turn 60 years, they can still give a super romantic contemporary called ‘Okay Kanmani’. Class is permanent. Age is just a number.
PS- The first day first show part. One exception. You obviously know it. Who wouldn’t want to watch him FDFS on the big screen. Thalaivar 😎 #purecharisma #exceptiontoeverything
obsessedminds 