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== Release and reception ==
== Release and reception ==
The length of the film was 3987 meters, which amounts to 15 reels.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=102}} ''Mouna Ragam'' was initially asked by one of the [[Central Board of Film Certification]]'s members to be given an "A" (Adults Only) certificate, with the reason being the heroine, who is a housewife, asking for a divorce. The request was subsequently denied,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/weekend-life/the-man-who-made-nayakan/article4028167.ece|title=The man who made Nayakan|newspaper=[[Business Line|The Hindu Business Line]]|last=Rao|first=Sandhya|date=25 October 2012|accessdate=17 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141017002827/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/weekend-life/the-man-who-made-nayakan/article4028167.ece|archivedate=17 October 2014}}</ref> and the film was instead given a "U" (Universal) certificate. The film was released on 15 August 1986, coinciding with [[Independence Day (India)|India's Independence Day]].{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=102}} Despite opening to an initially poor response at the box office, due to positive critical reviews and favourable [[word of mouth]], it picked up after two weeks and became a large commercial success, eventually running for over 175 days in theatres,{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=103}} becoming a [[silver jubilee]] film.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}}{{efn|A Silver Jubilee film is one that completes a theatrical run of 175 days.}} The film was lauded notably for its realistic portrayal of urban Tamilians,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Venice-honours-Mani-Ratnam/Article1-597191.aspx|title=Venice honours Mani Ratnam|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|first=Gautaman|last=Bhaskaran|date=7 September 2010|accessdate=15 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141015135956/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Venice-honours-Mani-Ratnam/Article1-597191.aspx|archivedate=15 October 2014}}</ref> and for its realistic presentation of the conflicts in marital issues without any melodrama or long dialogues.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}} The [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-dubbed version was released on 14 February 1987 with the same title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aptalkies.com/movie.php?id=4413&title=Mouna%20Ragam%20%281987%29|title=Mouna Ragam (1987)|publisher=APTalkies.com|accessdate=16 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140725033254/http://www.aptalkies.com/movie.php?id=4413&title=Mouna%20Ragam%20(1987)|archivedate=16 October 2014}}</ref> It was also a commercial success.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=103}}
The length of the film was 3987 meters, which amounts to 15 reels.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=102}} ''Mouna Ragam'' was initially asked by one of the [[Central Board of Film Certification]]'s members to be given an "A" (Adults Only) certificate, with the reason being the heroine, who is a housewife, asking for a divorce. The request was subsequently denied,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/weekend-life/the-man-who-made-nayakan/article4028167.ece|title=The man who made Nayakan|newspaper=[[Business Line|The Hindu Business Line]]|last=Rao|first=Sandhya|date=25 October 2012|accessdate=17 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141017002827/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/weekend-life/the-man-who-made-nayakan/article4028167.ece|archivedate=17 October 2014}}</ref> and the film was instead given a "U" certificate.{{efn|"U" means in [[Central Board of Film Certification|CFBC]] terminology unrestricted public exhibition or Universal video, equivalent to [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]]'s G and PG ratings and [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]]'s U and PG ratings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbfcindia.gov.in/html/uniquepage.aspx?unique_page_id=20 |title=Central Board of Film Certification |publisher=Cbfcindia.gov.in |accessdate=22 October 2014}}</ref>}} The film was released on 15 August 1986, coinciding with [[Independence Day (India)|India's Independence Day]].{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=102}} Despite opening to an initially poor response at the box office, due to positive critical reviews and favourable [[word of mouth]], it picked up after two weeks and became a large commercial success, eventually running for over 175 days in theatres,{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=103}} becoming a [[silver jubilee]] film.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}}{{efn|A Silver Jubilee film is one that completes a theatrical run of 175 days.}} The film was lauded notably for its realistic portrayal of urban Tamilians,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Venice-honours-Mani-Ratnam/Article1-597191.aspx|title=Venice honours Mani Ratnam|work=[[Hindustan Times]]|first=Gautaman|last=Bhaskaran|date=7 September 2010|accessdate=15 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141015135956/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Venice-honours-Mani-Ratnam/Article1-597191.aspx|archivedate=15 October 2014}}</ref> and for its realistic presentation of the conflicts in marital issues without any melodrama or long dialogues.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}} The [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-dubbed version was released on 14 February 1987 with the same title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aptalkies.com/movie.php?id=4413&title=Mouna%20Ragam%20%281987%29|title=Mouna Ragam (1987)|publisher=APTalkies.com|accessdate=16 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140725033254/http://www.aptalkies.com/movie.php?id=4413&title=Mouna%20Ragam%20(1987)|archivedate=16 October 2014}}</ref> It was also a commercial success.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=103}}


The film was screened at the 11th [[International Film Festival of India]] and was the only Tamil film entrant at the film festival.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/11th-iffi-picture-of-indian-cinema-bleak-harvest-of-films-better/1/336594.html|title=Good, bad and ugly - 11th IFFI: Picture of Indian cinema bleak, harvest of films better|first=Madhu|last=Jain|newspaper=[[India Today]]|date=15 January 1987|accessdate=16 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141016064002/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/11th-iffi-picture-of-indian-cinema-bleak-harvest-of-films-better/1/336594.html|archivedate=16 October 2014}}</ref>
The film was screened at the 11th [[International Film Festival of India]] and was the only Tamil film entrant at the film festival.{{sfn|Dhananjayan|2011|page=104}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/11th-iffi-picture-of-indian-cinema-bleak-harvest-of-films-better/1/336594.html|title=Good, bad and ugly - 11th IFFI: Picture of Indian cinema bleak, harvest of films better|first=Madhu|last=Jain|newspaper=[[India Today]]|date=15 January 1987|accessdate=16 October 2014|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20141016064002/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/11th-iffi-picture-of-indian-cinema-bleak-harvest-of-films-better/1/336594.html|archivedate=16 October 2014}}</ref>

Revision as of 05:59, 21 October 2014

Mouna Ragam
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMani Ratnam
Written byMani Ratnam
Produced byG. Venkateswaran
Starring
CinematographyP. C. Sreeram
Edited by
Music byIlaiyaraaja
Production
company
Sujatha Productions (P) Ltd.
Release date
15 August 1986
Running time
133-145 minutes[a]
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Mouna Ragam ([Silent Symphony] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), also spelt Mouna Raagam) is a 1986 Indian Tamil romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Starring Mohan, Revathi and Karthik in the lead roles, the film narrates the life of Divya Chandramouli, who is robbed of her carefree existence when she weds Chandrakumar, who is puzzled by his wife's arrogant nature, which is because of her former lover, Manohar, who was shot dead. Whether Divya clings on to her past or comes to terms with the present and unites with Chandrakumar forms the rest of the story. The soundtrack and background score were composed by Ilaiyaraaja and the cinematography was handled by P. C. Sreeram, with Thotta Tharani as art director. The film was shot mostly in Chennai, with additional filming taking place in Delhi and Agra.

The length of the film was 3987 meters, which amounts to 15 reels. Mouna Ragam was released on 15 August 1986 (India's Independence Day). The film was critically acclaimed upon release, particularly for its realistic presentation of the conflicts in marital issues without any melodrama or long dialogues. It received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 1987 and the Filmfare Award for Best Regional Film, while Ratnam won the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director. Mouna Ragam was dubbed in Telugu under the same title and was released on 14 February 1987; it was also a successful venture like its original counterpart. The film was remade in Hindi as Kasak in 1992, starring Rishi Kapoor, Neelam Kothari and Chunkey Pandey.

Plot

Divya Chandramouli (Revathi) is a free-spirited college girl from a conservative family. Her father (Ra. Sankaran) works for the government and is very strict about her conduct. One day, she learns of a marriage proposal for her, which her parents are very much looking forward to. Unwilling to get married, she deliberately comes home late on the day the groom's family comes to meet her, hoping that they will reject her. To her surprise, the groom, Chandrakumar (Mohan), and his family are patiently waiting for her. Divya talks arrogantly to Chandrakumar in an attempt to make him dislike her, but an undeterred Chandrakumar ends up liking her and agrees to the marriage. Divya refuses initially, but when her father suffers a heart attack, the family pleads with her to accept so that he can recover soon. She succumbs to family pressure and marries Chandrakumar.

File:Mouna Ragam Karthik and Revathi.jpg
Manohar (Karthik) and Divya (Revathi) in the famous "Mr. Chandramouli" scene.

Post marriage, Chandrakumar takes Divya to Delhi. Unable to come to terms with her marriage, Divya snubs her husband at every instance. This culminates in her asking for divorce when Chandrakumar asks her what she wants as a wedding gift. A startled Chandrakumar probes her for a reason and her flashback unfolds where she was in love with another man named Manohar (Karthik) whom she met was during her college days. He, along with his gang, beat up an MP's son and robs his money. Considering it as a gang theft, she reports Manohar to the police who arrest him. But later, she learns that because the MP's son had run his car over a poor girl; the theft was done to arrange money for the girl's treatment. She then feels guilty and bails him out of the police station.

Manohar falls for her and tries to win her love. Divya initially rejects him but reciprocates his feelings in due course. Manohar is a member of a revolutionary group, which plans an illegal rally. Divya does not approve of his participation in such activities and persuades him not to attend the rally. Manohar urges her to marry him the next day. On the day Manohar is supposed to marry Divya, he is falsely charged for participating in the previous day's rally. As he is arrested and taken away by the police, he escapes and runs to the marriage registrar's office where Divya is waiting for him. In the following chase, one of the policemen shoots Manohar and he dies in front of Divya, leaving her shattered.

Chandrakumar is ready to overlook Divya's past and live with her, but she is unable to accept another man in her life. When both approach a lawyer (Kanchana) for divorce, she tells them that as per the Hindu Marriage Act, since they are newlyweds, they have to wait for at least a year before they can file for divorce. Divya is therefore forced to live with Chandrakumar and she slowly starts to like him. But Chandrakumar distances himself from her, since after a year she will be gone and he does not want to get used to her.

Later, when Chandrakumar suspends the union leader of his company's labourers, they attack him. Divya struggles to save his life. After his discharge from hospital she takes care of him as a wife. Chandrakumar however neglects it, which hurts her. Divya finally understands her love for him and tries to reveal it by wearing the anklets he gave her just after marriage. But he is irritated by her immature acts and asks her to leave to her parent's home and even books tickets for her travel. Until Divya leaves the house both of them do not share their feelings for each other. At the railway station, Chandrakumar gives her the divorce papers, which she asked as a gift. Divya bursts out and finally admits that she loves him and she would wait for him till he realises it and leaves. Chandrakumar, finally coming to terms with his repressed feelings, gets her out of the train and both return home happily.

Cast

Production

Development

When the last schedule of Mani Ratnam's debut film Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983) was stretched inordinately to a year, he began working on his next script titled Divya, which eventually became Mouna Ragam, his fifth film.[4] The story of Divya was that of a girl who goes to an alien place and does not know the language.[5] Ratnam claimed Divya was first written as a short story that only spoke of the "first night" between the female lead and her husband, and he did not originally plan to film it; only after writing he realised that he could base a film on it. So Ratnam took a month off between the schedules of Pallavi Anu Pallavi and wrote the script for Divya.[6] Ratnam said Mouna Ragam's script took five years in the making.[7]

The inspiration for the title Mouna Ragam came from the song "Naan Paadum Mouna Ragam" from Ratnam's own film Idaya Kovil (1985).[8] Although Mouna Ragam was Ratnam's fifth film as director, he considers it practically his second as it was done the way he thought it aught to be done. Even though he began working on the script during Pallavi Anu Pallavi, Mouna Ragam did not enter production until after Idaya Kovil's release.[9] Ratnam had wanted to move the story to Bangalore instead of Delhi initially but he wanted to make sure that the heroine had to be far away and could not just come back to her parents because of her inability to adjust with her husband.[10]

Mouna Ragam was also Ratnam's first film with P. C. Sreeram as the cinematographer.[11][12] He previously opted for Sreeram in Idaya Kovil, but the collaboration could not materialise then.[9] The film was produced by G. Venkateswaran under his banner Sujatha Films. Editing was jointly handled by B. Lenin and V. T. Vijayan, with Thota Tharani as the film's art director.[1]

Casting

"To me, it was very clear that Mouna Raagam was about this relationship within an arranged marriage. I just needed to rationalize the heroine's behaviour, and Karthik was the rationalization. If I'd done the film years later, I would have left out the Karthik character. But at that point of time, I did something that was entertaining and would reach a wider audience."

—Mani Ratnam on the inclusion of Karthik in a conversation with film critic Baradwaj Rangan.[13]

Ratnam cast Mohan, who he had previously worked with in Idaya Kovil, as the male lead. Revathi, who had previously collaborated with Ratnam in Pagal Nilavu (1984), was chosen to play the female lead. Ratnam initially had "someone like Anant Nag and Supriya Pathak" in mind when he finished writing Mouna Ragam. However, it took him a few years to make it a film, and he decided to include Revathi as the female lead after being impressed mainly with her performance in Mann Vasanai (1983).[9] Ra. Sankaran, V. K. Ramasamy, Kanchana, Vani, Bhaskar, Kalaiselvi and "Baby" Sonia were cast in supporting roles.[2]

Ratnam stated that the only difference between Divya and Mouna Ragam was the inclusion of the portion featuring Karthik, which was not there in the earlier screenplay. Divya was the story of how a girl settles into an arranged marriage and had no mention of the girl's life before her marriage.[9] But then Ratnam realised that the story needed to satisfy a wider section of the audience. So he decided to give them something that would not make them question the character, rather accepting the character as a plot point. This lead to the film dealing with the concept of an arranged marriage — two strangers suddenly thrown together, and how they can find a way to adjust. It was a point Ratnam had resisted at first, but he reconsidered his decision as it gave an easier reason for the heroine's resistance to the arranged marriage.[9]

Filming

Since the film was set indoors in Delhi for most parts, both Ratnam and Sreeram wanted the indoor portions to look as lively as the outdoor ones as there were not too many characters, and they did not want it to look like a play. So Sreeram came up with the idea of backlighting inside a house. Thotta Tharani found a house in Chennai which had a lot of sunlight coming in and it was different to an extent that it was convincing enough to have a setting similar to the houses in Delhi, and gave Sreeram the freedom to use his idea. Mouna Ragam also became Ratnam's first film to make excessive use of staccato dialogues, which became his trademark style in his later films.[14] In a bid to bring down the production cost, the film's production unit used to get food cooked at the producer's home.[15]

For filming the introduction scene of Karthik's character, Manohar, Sreeram had to lie low on a bedsheet to get the low-angle shot.[16] The concept of frontal and profile close-ups, set against long shots with fuzzy foreground was widely utilised by Sreeram in the film.[3] The team shot in Delhi for two days and the portions in Agra were shot for a day.[10] The song "Panivizhum Iravu" was shot at the Taj Mahal,[17] while scenes from "Mandram Vandha" were shot at the India Gate and Sikandra, Agra.[18][19] Mohan's voice was dubbed by S. N. Surendar.[20]

Themes and influences

The film is based on the management concept transactional analysis, which describes the ego state theory of personality. In his book The Best of Tamil Cinema, G. Dhananjayan compares the relationship between Chandrakumar and Divya to a parent-child relationship in the beginning of the film; he states that the relationship then changes to "parent-adult" and then to "adult-adult".[21] Baradwaj Rangan compared Mouna Ragam to J. Mahendran's Nenjathai Killathe (1980), which was also based on a woman torn between the man she loved and the man she married.[22] Karthik's character Manohar was part of a group that was involved in anti-government activities, albeit for good causes. Rangan also drew out similarities on the character's motives to those from the Italian fantasy war drama film The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) and Ratnam's Malayalam film Unaru (1984).[23] Mouna Ragam's introduction credits feature photos of Revathi from her childhood through her teenage years, which according to rapper Blaaze, make viewers "understand the girl, the character, her nature."[24] The scene where Divya is at the hospital looking after Chandrakumar reflects the traditional quality that surfaces when she fears and cares for her husband's life. It showed a sense of vulnerability in her despite the strong qualities that she had. The scene also showed her humane nature.[25]

The film's background music, also composed by Ilaiyaraaja, has been opined by critics to be synonymous with the film's scenes and themes.[16][26] According to the book, The Cultural Study of Music: A Critical Introduction by Martin Clayton, Trevor Herbert and Richard Middleton, the picturisation of "Oho Megam Vandhadho" resembled Broadway and MTV-style of singing and dancing, while the main tunes combine American music with Indian vocals provided by S. Janaki. In the wedding scene between Chandrakumar and Divya, Sarangi and Nadaswaram are utilised. In the sequences showing the couple sightseeing in Delhi, light synth-based music is used to depict them as modernised tourists touring their own country. The restaurant scene featuring Manohar and Divya has the Sitar music awkwardly played, indicating the emotions of the couple. Flamenco sounds were used for the fight sequence featuring Manohar beating up the MP's son.[26]

The concept of the heroine moving to a strange place where she does not know the language spoken there is a theme replicated in Mani Ratnam's later films like Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995). The theme shows the heroine in a dilemma that since she does not know the language, as she has settled in Delhi, she is hardly able to socialise with the people there and the only person with whom she can socialise is the person with whom she is at loggerheads.[27][10] According to Rangan, the restaurant scene between Manohar and Divya was notable for being the first time in Tamil cinema that a man asked a woman for a cup of coffee. He compared it to Oru Thalai Ragam (1980) where the protagonists hardly spoke.[28] Regarding this, Ratnam said he was inspired by the bands, The Doors and The Beatles, further opining it was not an uncommon thing to ask a woman out for a cup of coffee and was not yet reflected in Tamil cinema at that point of time.[29]

Music

Untitled

The soundtrack album consists of five songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics for all the songs written by Vaali; S. Janaki and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam are the only two singers in the whole album.[30][31] The soundtrack was released under the audio label of Echo Audio Company.[30] According to The Cultural Study of Music: A Critical Introduction, the song "Oho Megam Vandhadho", picturised on Divya dancing with several other teenage girls, is a reworking of Gene Kelly's "Singin' in the Rain".[32] "Nilaavae Vaa" is featured on both sides of the film's original LP record, as the second track.[30] "Mandram Vandha" was later adapted by Ilaiyaraaja twice in the 2007 Hindi film Cheeni Kum — as the film's title track and it's melancholic version "Sooni Sooni".[33][34] The album cover depicts Revathi in her costume from the song "Chinna Chinna Vanna Kuyil".

Reception

The soundtrack received widespread acclaim. G. Dhananjayan said in his book The Best of Tamil Cinema, "Ilaiyaraja's sensitive and wonderful music showcased his urban side once again in this film", further stating all the songs became "evergreen classics" in Tamil cinema.[21] Filmmaker Poongothai Chandrahasan said, "I like the way "Nilave Vaa" is shot. It's not like they go into some exotic location but this sort of flows seamlessly, integrated into the narrative. And Ilaiyaraja's music is such that even when you listen to it ten years later, you still remember the song."[35]

S. Saraswathi of Rediff.com described "Nilaave Vaa" as "a timeless classic that you never tire of." and concluded that, "the soft romantic lyrics, with SPB’s [Balasubrahmanyam's] soothing vocals, makes this one of his most memorable songs."[36] Behindwoods.com mentioned, "While all the songs in this movie are equally popular, "Nilaave Vaa", "Panivizhum Iravu" and "Mandram Vandha" stand out for their rendering as well as their composition."[37] In its review on "Nilave Vaa", Behindwoods.com said, "It is difficult to think of another song that lays out the feelings of a lovelorn heart in a better way. With lines like ‘poonthaene needhane sollil vaithaay mullai’, this song is a regular even nowadays in the late night FM circuit."[38]

Tracklisting

Side A
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Oho Megam Vandhadho"S. Janaki4:25
2."Nilaavae Vaa"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:36
3."Chinna Chinna Vanna Kuyil"S. Janaki4:24
Side B
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Panivizhum Iravu"S. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:32
2."Nilaavae Vaa"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:36
3."Mandram Vandha"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam4:46

Release and reception

The length of the film was 3987 meters, which amounts to 15 reels.[1] Mouna Ragam was initially asked by one of the Central Board of Film Certification's members to be given an "A" (Adults Only) certificate, with the reason being the heroine, who is a housewife, asking for a divorce. The request was subsequently denied,[39] and the film was instead given a "U" certificate.[b] The film was released on 15 August 1986, coinciding with India's Independence Day.[1] Despite opening to an initially poor response at the box office, due to positive critical reviews and favourable word of mouth, it picked up after two weeks and became a large commercial success, eventually running for over 175 days in theatres,[21] becoming a silver jubilee film.[41][c] The film was lauded notably for its realistic portrayal of urban Tamilians,[42] and for its realistic presentation of the conflicts in marital issues without any melodrama or long dialogues.[41] The Telugu-dubbed version was released on 14 February 1987 with the same title.[43] It was also a commercial success.[21]

The film was screened at the 11th International Film Festival of India and was the only Tamil film entrant at the film festival.[41][44]

Critical response

On 31 August 1986, Ananda Vikatan, in its review, said, "Revathy [sic] has done an outstanding job in the film... Mohan played the role with maturity... The film does not have any commercial masalas, yet it creates an impact due to the camera work and music." and gave the film 43 marks.[41] Upperstall.com said, "Mouna Ragam is looked at as Mani Ratnam's breakthrough film and though somewhat dated in places in terms of both content and style, the film has some of his finest moments." The critic praised Revathi's performance as among her "best ever", and added "As the gentle, kind and patient husband, Mohan is not bad even if as mentioned, he is too good to be true." and concluded, "All in all, Mouna Ragam is well, well worth a watch even today."[11] Dhananjayan, in his book, wrote, "Mouna Ragam is based on a theme that was already shown in Tamil Cinema on the institutions of marriage. But nothing about this film was clichéd. P. C. Sreeram's ethereal camera work and Illayaraja's delicate music made it a classic love story."[1] Gautaman Bhaskaran, writing for The Hindu said, "Simple and shorn of pretensions, Mouna Raagam continues to be my favourite in the Mani Ratnam basket: if Mohan and Revathi enriched it by their fine performances, the director's restraint helped elevate the work to a higher plane."[45]

Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff.com said, "It took a Mani Ratnam to move away from cliched romantic dialogues and capture subtle nuances that add so much richness to the story, introduce proper, three dimensional characters that lived breathed and sorrowed like everyone else."[46] She also praised Revathi's performance in the film, "Her slender frame and expressive eyes served Revathy [sic] very well in the film: the young girl grieving for her lover, the furious wife forced to be happy with her marriage, her veiled insolence and outright insults -- and then, the change of heart as she realises how good a man her husband really is. Revathy [sic] nails it all effortlessly."[47] Behindwoods.com said, "There are some movies which remain etched in your thoughts not because they dazzle you with wizardry but because they make their presence felt in a quiet manner. Mounaragam fits into the second category." and concluded, "In today’s world, where youngsters have more freedom to choose their life partners, Mounaragam may seem anachronistic. Yet, it is a film to be watched to understand the nuances of a good and lasting marriage."[48]

Accolades

Rediff, in its article, The most memorable Mani movies, said, "This was arguably the film that announced Mani Ratnam to the Tamil film industry as a talent to watch out for. An excellent script by Ratnam himself, cinemotagraphy by PC Sriram and a lilting score by Illayaraja made it a hit with both critics and moviegoers."[49] Deccan Chronicle listed Karthik and Revathi among their "Top 10 Jodis" of Tamil cinema, and wrote, "Navarasa Nayagan Karthik and Revathy made a fresh pair and were adored by the youth, especially the college students. Their awesome on-screen chemistry in Mouna Ragam was a talking point back then."[50] Art director Sabu Cyril ranked Mouna Ragam fourth in his list of "India's best films", praising its story, narration and screenplay, which he called "perfect".[51] The film was one of only two Tamil films, the other being Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) which were listed in Renu Saran's 101 Hit Films of Indian Cinema.[52]

Rapper Blaaze told Sudhish Kamath:

"From the moment you see the title credits, which are a collection of Revathy’s photos from childhood through her teens, Mouna Raagam is brilliant [sic]. The cameo by Karthik as the cool gangster just rocks and was a first for Tamil cinema those days. The direction, dialogues and screenplay were all so complete that I consider it a landmark film, a film that took Tamil cinema to a new level, storywise."[24]

Filmmaker Poongkothai Chandrahasan, in an interview with The Hindu, said:

"Obviously, one of the most important things about a film that makes it a classic is that it has to stay in your mind. When most Tamil movies were doing a girl-meets-boy-and-falls-in-love routine, this was so different. That too, it was done within the commercial format. Mani Ratnam had the guts to make a film that interesting with a different storyline. Also the way P. C. Sriram shot the film was so beautiful."[35]

Television anchor Gobinath Chandran said:

"Basically, for the brilliant characterisation. When you see the film, you are able to associate yourself or the people you know with the characters in the film. Till today, there has been no character like Karthik’s in our films. Even Mani Ratnam himself hasn’t been able to come up with an equally unforgettable character. It was refreshingly original, raw and real. Revathy and Mohan were well etched out characters too. Even the support characters such as the Sardarji were so real and believable. The music and the background score still haunt. It is a complete film.[53]

At the 34th National Film Awards, Mouna Ragam won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.[54] At the 36th Filmfare Awards South, it won the Award for Best Regional Film, while Ratnam won the Award for Best Tamil Director.[55][56]

Legacy

Mouna Ragam became an important milestone in Tamil cinema and was a breakthrough film for Mani Ratnam.[1] It inaugurated the love story genre set outside the state of Tamil Nadu.[3] As a part of its legacy, the film has been acclaimed for being a box-office success whilst containing the critic elements of art.[57] It has also been screened at many film festivals, including "Mani Ratnam's Love Films" at London's National Film Theatre in 2002, and "A Retrospective of Mani Ratnam's Films" at the Calcutta Film Festival of 2002.[2] The concept of soft-focus shots, flare filters, backlit sequences became popular after their introduction to Tamil cinema through this film. The concept was continued by Ratnam in his later films, notably Nayakan (1987) and Agni Natchathiram (1989).[58] The film catapulted Karthik to stardom,[59] and his "Mr. Chandramouli" dialogue attained popularity.[60] Dhananjayan compared the Hindi film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) to Mouna Ragam due to the similar theme, with the difference being that the heroine's past lover, played by Salman Khan, is alive in the film.[21] The film became a trendsetter and inspired several later films with similar themes of romance and drama — including Alaipayuthey (2000), which was also directed by Ratnam, and Priyasakhi (2005).[41] Mouna Ragam was remade in Hindi as Kasak in 1992, starring Rishi Kapoor, Neelam Kothari and Chunkey Pandey; the remake was less successful.[11]

In one scene in the parody film Thamizh Padam (2010), the hero, Shiva (Shiva) attempts to propose to the heroine, Priya (Disha Pandey) in a manner that spoofs Manohar's attempt to propose to Divya in Mouna Ragam.[61][62] A Telugu film, also titled Mouna Ragam was released in 2010 and had nothing in common with this film apart from their names.[63] The Arya—Nayantara starrer Raja Rani (2013) has often been compared to Mouna Ragam due to its theme of marital issues, with the difference being that both the hero and the heroine have past lovers.[64][65][66] The restaurant scene between Manohar and Divya was recreated by Prasanna, Lekha Washington and Delhi Ganesh in the film Kalyana Samayal Saadham (2013).[67]

Notes

  1. ^ G. Dhananjayan's The Best of Tamil Cinema gives the runtime as 133 minutes,[1] while Baradwaj Rangan's Conversations with Mani Ratnam and Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen's Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema give the runtime as 145 minutes.[2][3]
  2. ^ "U" means in CFBC terminology unrestricted public exhibition or Universal video, equivalent to MPAA's G and PG ratings and BBFC's U and PG ratings.[40]
  3. ^ A Silver Jubilee film is one that completes a theatrical run of 175 days.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Dhananjayan 2011, p. 102.
  2. ^ a b c Rangan 2012, p. 289.
  3. ^ a b c Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 2014, p. 476.
  4. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 22.
  5. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 28.
  6. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 38.
  7. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 44.
  8. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 29.
  9. ^ a b c d e Rangan 2012, p. 31.
  10. ^ a b c Rangan 2012, p. 42.
  11. ^ a b c Bali, Karan. "Mouna Ragam". Upperstall.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 9 February 2014 suggested (help)
  12. ^ "Mani ratnam's 10 biggest contributions - Cinematographers". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 22 September 2013 suggested (help)
  13. ^ Rangan 2012, pp. 32–33.
  14. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 36.
  15. ^ "How Mani Ratnam cut production cost?". The Times of India. 20 April 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 20 July 2014 suggested (help)
  16. ^ a b Rangan 2012, p. 40.
  17. ^ Mouna Ragam (DVD). "Panivizhum Iravu" song from 1:38:12 to 1:39:10.
  18. ^ Mouna Ragam (DVD). "Mandram Vandha" song from 1:26:22 to 1:26:32.
  19. ^ "Mouna Raagam". Where Was It Shot. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  20. ^ Ramanan, V. V. (14 March 2008). "Cine quiz". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  21. ^ a b c d e Dhananjayan 2011, p. 103.
  22. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 32.
  23. ^ Rangan 2012, p. 33.
  24. ^ a b Kamath, Sudhish (12 October 2007). "Why I like... Mouna Ragam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  25. ^ Rangan 2012, pp. 38–40.
  26. ^ a b Clayton, Herbert & Middleton 2003, pp. 292–294.
  27. ^ Shankar 2012, pp. 113–114.
  28. ^ Rangan 2012, pp. 33–34.
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  34. ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (15 May 2007). "Music Review: Cheeni Kum". baradwajrangan.wordpress.com. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
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  39. ^ Rao, Sandhya (25 October 2012). "The man who made Nayakan". The Hindu Business Line. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  40. ^ "Central Board of Film Certification". Cbfcindia.gov.in. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  41. ^ a b c d e Dhananjayan 2011, p. 104.
  42. ^ Bhaskaran, Gautaman (7 September 2010). "Venice honours Mani Ratnam". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  43. ^ "Mouna Ragam (1987)". APTalkies.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 25 July 2014 suggested (help)
  44. ^ Jain, Madhu (15 January 1987). "Good, bad and ugly - 11th IFFI: Picture of Indian cinema bleak, harvest of films better". India Today. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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  47. ^ "Revathi in Mouna Ragam". Rediff.com. 14 June 2010. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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  49. ^ "The most memorable Mani movies". Rediff.com. 12 January 2007. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  50. ^ Subramanian, Anupama (14 February 2013). "Top 10 Jodis". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  51. ^ Warrier, Shobha (22 June 2005). "India's Best Films: Sabu Cyril". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2005. Retrieved 18 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 24 November 2005 suggested (help)
  52. ^ Saran 2014, p. 218.
  53. ^ "Why I love... Mouna Ragam". The Hindu. 23 May 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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  55. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  56. ^ Collections, p. 394
  57. ^ Joshi 2006, p. 72.
  58. ^ The Hindu 2000, p. 288.
  59. ^ "CUTEST ONSCREEN LOVERS". Behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  60. ^ Reddy, T. Krithika (28 May 2010). "Second coming". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 18 October 2014 suggested (help)
  61. ^ Amudhan, C. S. (director) (29 January 2010). Thamizh Padam (Motion picture). Cloud Nine Movies. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  62. ^ "Tamil Padam". Sify. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  63. ^ "This is no Mouna Ragam". Rediff.com. 8 April 2010. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  64. ^ Kamath, Sudhish (28 September 2013). "Raja Rani: Boy, Girl, Her Ex and His". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  65. ^ Chakpak (4 October 2013). "Review: 'Raja Rani'". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
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  67. ^ J. Rao, Subha (28 December 2013). "Well-served". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2014. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 29 December 2013 suggested (help)

Bibliography

External links

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