Mani strikes again with Raavanan!

In an age when Hindi and Tamil cinema are synonymous with shoddy entertainment churned out by Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kalanidhi Maran(of Sun Pictures fame) et al, Mani Ratnam is a lone phoenix along with Kamal Haassan, who keeps rising from the ashes every time the box office buries him. Mani is the flag-bearer of sensible art-house cinema which respects the intellectual that the movie-goer is. The director who has given us epics like Nayagan, Iruvar, Aayitha Ezhuthu, Mouna Ragam etc. returns after a 3 year hiatus with Raavan/Raavanan. That the bilingual is a modern day adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayan seen through the eyes of the antagonist Raavan is a well known fact. In his artistic depiction of the story which has been told repeatedly through ages, Mani scores on several fronts.

Having watched both the versions, I wish to compare them. The Hindi version has received serious flak from viewers and critics alike and it is understandable. The culprit is AB Junior, and not the editing as AB Sr. said trying to justify his son’s maniacal performance. AB Jr. tries to do a Heath Ledger and churns out a disjointed performance that is enjoyable in pieces, as he falters in bringing to the film the much needed stability. On the other hand, Vikram is more grounded and phenomenal as Veeraiya, blending the madness of the tribal outlaw and the toughness of a man seeking vengeance for his wronged sister. Prithviraj, as Dev, is expressive in his love for his abducted wife, while Vikram’s Dev embodies the hard-hearted and cunning greyness in the good guy that Mani Ratnam aims to portray. Aishwarya’s beautiful eyes leave the viewers fixated. Govinda and Karthik are forgettable. Priya Mani is gang-raped yet again!

The brilliant locales, and outstanding cinematography which vivifies the ruthless jungle and dangerous waters deserve special mention. A.R.Rahman’s music is great but does not get justice through the poor lyrics in Tamil.
As in Aayitha Ezhuthu/Yuva, Mani doesn’t delve into the reason for the protagonist’s struggle with the authorities, and jumps straight into the action. Though many have condemned this style, it is testament to the legendary film maker’s respect for the film-goer’s intelligence.

The film’s principal pillar is Mani’s artistry, as he takes on an epic story that is more than 10 centuries old. In ‘Hey Ram’, Kamal created waves by bucking the usual trend and dared to look at Mahatma Gandhi as a villain. In Raavan, Mani does the reverse as he humanises the evil Veera/Beera and brings out the cunning demon inside Dev, blurring the lines between black and white and leaving the viewer torn between the two principal characters, like Ragini is, throughout the film. This trademark style of Mani where he leaves the viewer thinking is what separates him from the rest of the pack. Raavan/Raavanan is not perfect, and definitely not the ace director’s best. But it is another feather in his cap.