Friday 17 April 2015

OK Kanmani Review

They meet at a railway platform, meet again at a church wedding, gets attracted, fall in love, agrees on the meaninglessness of marriage , starts living together without conditions,  ultimately time pops up hurting them with the red signal for separation ( career matters) and then what? They find solution in that marriage which at first they felt was just an arrangement of family and society. Happy ending. ( mental mandhil female version plays as end credits starts rolling ...)
What's special about this? There is no tension , no plot twists or suspense.
Nothing much. But its handled by Mani Ratnam who is good at it.
After the release of trailers,there was discussions on film groups regarding the anticipation of another Alaipayuthe.
I swear its not an Yennai Arindhaal by Gautham Menon .
Mani Ratnam has his moments, those conversations with wit that almost feel real, that represents the class and culture of those people. There is this typical ' 'Maniratnam conversation 'where at least one of the character is engaged in some work that makes it more organic, like the one where Tara( Nithya ) is busy drawing the architecture of a palace with excitement and Aadi ( dulquer) totally concentrated in Tara ,replying less excited about her professor.
It is heavily romantic, he goes deeper into their private talks,their intimacy and chemistry. It has traces of those scenes from Dil se, Bombay, Guru, Alai Payute.. ..all his films.( it is called trademark)
Explores contemporary relationships, clearly updated from the Alaypayuthe times, be it the colors, gadgets, lifestyle, the place they live and music. Yes soundtracks and background score is fresh and adds to the emotions. Neat art too, the colors on their interior is very attractive and urban.
Apart from an elderly couple comprising Prakash Raj who is a delight to watch, there are no characters with importance. Tara and aadi overhears the couple, the way with which Ganapathy( PRAKASH raj) take care of his wife ailing from Alzheimer's. Their love and understanding is witnessed by our lead couple through the little gap of their door.
There are boring cliches like the carnatic singing ability of heroine that acts as an advantage in a crucial moment. Also I wished there was someone like Madhavan to play Aadi who can actually behave other than looking good.( Forgive me DQ fans,it's basic human nature to compare,can't help it! ) Mani sir always preferred good looking men to play the lead.
Coming to the subject, film talks on two people who believed that marriage was just an arrangement of convenience and started living together with freedom. Freedom in the sense that ' I won't indulge in your personal matters ' or ' we will be free to end this once its all over' .
And it all ends with marriage as a solution which indirectly comments that marriage is more than an institution and live in relationships ultimately leads to it if its 'real'.(ideal) Like he said, its a reflection on contemporary relationships. 

But I felt it more romantic,satisfying watch.
Feel good movie.