Raavan and Raavanan

I had this good fortune of following Tamil as well Hindi as a language. Last Friday the day movie got released in Mumbai I watched it in Hindi and next day in Tamil. Contrary to the usual style of Maniratnam this movie is a an attempt which easily could not be digested by hardcore Maniratnam's fans.

Well who is a fan by the way?. I never understood the concept or interested to understand it either. Only a Maniratnam can have the guts to recreate a story we would have heard over hundred time while we all grow up. The theme is quite contemporary. To some extent elusive too. But who cares.

I was stunned at the Visuals of the movie. Something other movie makers in India got to learn from Maniratnam. None of his movies ever had a locale which is outside India. Even his master creation " Kannathil Muthamittal" the Srilankan visuals were created within India.

Whether it Ilayaraja ( remember his movies before the Roja era) or A.R. Rahman - only a Maniratnam movie can have such a wonderful music. Ranja Ranja is a soul warming number.

Every one in the movie has attempted something which they would not have done otherwise in our star stuck fame world. Govinda for instance will find a batch of egomaniacs preaching him how did he land up doing such a role which otherwise no one would have considered doing. Yeah you are right - Sandra Bullock should have never done the part in " Time to kill" for instance.

Maniratnam is always a trend setter. He defeated our so called Star system and made them look characters. Prabhu and Karthik for instance in Tamil are totally applaudable. Similarly the Bhojpuri actor in Hindi Ravi, is good. Priyamani and Aishwarya Rai Bachan ( such a long name) are the two characters remains same in both the version.

Two things I need to tell about this movie:-

Watch the movie don't listen the nonsenses written in media or the so called self declared film critics. May be the PR agency of Maniratnam didn't buy them a beer or showered them with gifts. Everything in this country can be orchestrated - media included.

Watch the movie with your friends, family and children included. You will not find an opportunity to be yourself in which you can be the one family all over again watching a movie.

Maniratnam - one word to you. Great attempt. Keep trying more and more.