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{mosimage}Maniratnam always proves that he is a MBA guy, who knows how to market a product. No, I am not talking about the hype and buzz that every of his movies create, but the way he presents the story. He makes it glamorous with all commercial ingredients carefully in a way that the soul is still retained despite the presence of item numbers, fights and sometimes love making scene too. Recall "Anjali", "Roja" and even his last "Yuva", if you had noticed carefully, the actual story comes in the second half only whereas all the commercial parts were in the first half. But when Mani Sir gave up his glossy techniques and stick honest to the story alone, we got a classic - Kannathil Mutthamittal (A peck in the cheek).

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"Kannathil..." was a mature attempt about terrorism in Sri Lanka but from the view point of a child, which makes it unique. I would say that this is the best film Maniratnam had ever directed. This is the movie in which Maniratnam had graduated from a commercial director to a master director. What I loved in the movie is its narrative structure. Honesty that slaps on your face. There is very much of reality in every inch of the story.

{mosimage}Thiruchelvan (Madhavan) and his Indra (Simran) are blessed with 3 kids, Amudha (Keerthana) being the eldest followed by Akhil (Suraj Balajee) & Vinay. Amudha's life turns topsy turvy on her 9th B'Day, learning that she is actually an "adopted" child of the couple. She becomes insecure, wants to meet her biological mother desperately. Seeing her persistence, Karthik takes her to Sri Lanka and the kid meets her real mother (excellent cameo by Nandita Das), who happens to be a militant now, on the war front. The climax is simply mind blowing, a confrontation between the emotions, patriotism, policies and ofcourse own blood.

A word of warning:- Don't bother about the details like why Nandita becomes a militant, who was responsible for the clashes? Was Madhavan & Simran right in telling the birth secret to Keerthana so bluntly...etc. etc... Mani Sir was not here to make a documentry with facts and figures right. He didn't even try to preach or "investigate" the root cause problem in Sri Lanka also. Instead the movie focusses on the child's search for her mother, and the terrorism in her viewpoint. He just shocks the audiences with the blood, gore and injustice prevailing in the Sri Lanka soil through the eyes of a child.

Maniratnam gets into the story with immediately after the happy song, which is the only commercial aspect that sticks out like a sore thumb. There is a kind of intensity in the emotions through out the unlike Maniratnam's other movies. Whether it is the poetic "maranam eendra jananam nee..." (You mark a new birth in death) or Amudha after being informed about the secret asking "Ein maa naan unnai pola irukkeinnu poi sonne?" (Why did you lie me that I resemble you), the inability to digest the fact shows in the kid's tone.

P.S Keerthana, the star kid of Actors Parthiban & Seetha, is the soul of the movie, and had she faltered, the movie would have fallen flat. Infact, post credits, the movie opens from her point of view only. In the scene when she sees her actual mother and realises that none of her expectations had happened, her visual disappointment and eyes slowly brimming with tears, is absolutely wonderful. She deserved every inch her National Award for Best Child artiste that year.

{mosimage}The pick of the supporting cast is undeniably Simran followed by Nandita Das. I would say that this is one of the very few movies Simran had "acted". Even though she was a glamor queen then, she transformed completely into a demure house wife and a mother of three, cladded in simple cotton sarees. Her "voice" by TV artiste Deepa Venkat added to her performance. Nandita Das makes her presence even with the lesser footage she gets. She is the only one who manages to stand against Keerthana in the climax where everybody else were overshadowed. Madhavan is lost completely in the whole process and is a misfit for the role of a writer. Pasupathy, who hit a big time with "Dhool" & "Virumandi" later, was OK with the small role as Nandita Das' brother.

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There are many moments that fill your heart with varied emotions that too literally no dialogues. One worthy mention is when Chakravarthy asks Nandita what she likes most besides him, Nandita smears Chakri's cheeks with the soil indicating her motherland. The scene of exodus from the village (Mankulam) and the innocent people caught in cross fire portrays the turbulent life Srilankan Tamils realistically. MSV's voice is the best to depict the pain in background - "Panaimarakaade, paravaigal koode, iniyoru murai kanboa..?" (Oh! Palm trees, bird nests, will we able to see you again..?). The scene where Keerthana was reeling from the shock of a human bomb exploding himself in front of her eyes, who was chatting with her few minutes back, just blows you also.

Among the serious proceedings, the sweet and brief episode of romance between Madhavan & Simran provide a relief. Who can forget that "inseparable" hug by Maddy & Simran, with S Janaki crooning in the background?

{mosimage}sattena nanaindadhu nenjam...
(the heart got drenched instantly..)
sarkarai aanathu kanneer..
(the tears turned sweet..)
inbam inbam oru thunbam..
(the pleasures are trouble..)
thunbam ethanai perinbam
(the troubles turn more pleasure)

There is a beautiful song that never featured in cassettes, continues like this..

Endha vasal vazhi kadhal nadanthu varumendru kaatthu kidandhein..
(I was looking at which way love will come in..)
Adhu vaanil paranthu vanthu koodu thiranthu varumendru kandu pidithein,
(I found that it will fly from sky and open your heart cage..)
thaavi vanthu ennai anaitha poidhu endhan salli vergal arunthein,
(When it embraced me, I got cut from my roots..)
saavin ellai varai sendru meendu indru rendu janmam adainthein..
(Went to the edge of death and took another rebirth..)
thudikkum uthadu kondu thudaithidu vetkathai..
(smear your shyness with quivering lips)
anaippin aadhikkathaal veliyetru acchatthai..
(drive the fear through the power of your hugs..)
sugamai sugamai kollaiyidu
(loot me with pleasure..)
en uyirtai mattum vittuvidu..
(but leave my soul alone..)

{mosimage}I became an ardent fan of Ravi K Chandran's camera ever since I saw "Kannathil Muthamittal..". The lensman's camera caresses the near pure sands of Rameswaram beach making it as an excellent backdrop for the love scenes and an important character in the emotional scenes and "Deivam thantha poove.." song. Whenever there is a visual jolt on screen in the fight scenes, we too feel like physically present in the troubled location. The war scene, preceding the climax, which was presented authentically and very much different from what we used to see till then, showed the tremendous mastery of this cinematographer. Unusual usage of Akela cranes in the sentimental "Deivam thantha poove.." was wonderful.

Another technical expertise that deserves to be mentioned is the art direction by Sabu Cyril. He brings the Sri Lankan milieu in front of you with his realistic sets in Ooty and Chalakkudy, Kerala masquerading as Sri Lanka. Especially the climax location, which is the Indian Express building at the centre part of Chennai looked every bit a war torn country. But trying to pass of Pondicherry as Colombo just evokes laughter.

Another unusual thing was - Sujatha's dialogue. Normally Maniratnam's movies will have minimal dialogues that of a whole movie's can be written on the back of the ticket, but this had elaborate and sensitive dialogues. But dialogues like "Developed nations fuel the war in Sri Lanka as the arm suppliers need business" stand out odd, as they didn't go into the actual reason of war in Sri Lanka.

{mosimage}Sometimes when the honest efforts go awry, the film maker tends to lose his faith and intrest with audiences. Thats waht exactly happened with "Kannathil..." and Maniratnam. After the commercial fiasco of this masterpiece, Maniratnam moved to Mumbai and shot his bilingual "Ayutha Ezhutthu" and "Yuva" simultaneously. With "Yuva's" commercial success and debacle of "Ayutha Ezhutthu", Maniratnam stayed back in Mumbai and is making Hindi movies only. With his current "Guru" featuring Abhishek Bacchan, Aishwarya Rai and Vidya Balan, Maniratnam is all set to lauch "Lajjo" with Aamir Khan and Kareena in lead. When you see "Kannathil Muthamittal", you are bound to miss the master whizardry of Maniratnam in Tamil Screen.

Maniratnam Sir, we are waiting for your sensible movies in Tamil again.

P.S: I saw this and "Pammal K. Sambandham" back to back on VCD at my brother's home. Both had one common thing - Simran. She was contrastingly different and glamorous in PKS from what she was in KM. Since that moment I acknowledged Simran as one of the best actress in Tamil and became her fan. Till then I dismissed her off as a sexy bimbette.