Raavan

Sometimes going to a movie on the first day distorts your review. Just the whole frenzy of being among the first few to watch, and the raw excitement that can only come from watching before you hear any comments (especially if it is a movie that was forced to run only in 16 theatres in your state in Hindi, and you know it was a privilege to even get tickets!)- can make you think a movie was much better than it actually was. Which is why I am writing this review today, instead of Friday evening.

I saw Raavan this Friday. When I came out of the theatre I simply wanted to say "What a movie!" But that feeling kinda mellowed over the weekend. And now I think I am a saner critic :D

After all the hype, when I entered the theatre I thought "Would it be worth the hassle?" The first few minutes didn't seem to answer that question quite clearly- in fact, Ash was screaming too much, and Abhishek was shouting gibberish that made him sound more like a psycho than a villain. Nor was Vikram a great surprise when he picked his phone to find his wife kidnapped. And the Govinda jokes were abominable, if not just irritating. Yet, when Behne De started and I saw Ash's eyes, I knew Mani was going to rewrite history- in more ways than one! (After all, if you can make people see any trace of expression in Ash's eyes instead of just their beautiful colour, that in itself is writing history ;) )



We all knew the plot. Raavan a.k.a Beera kidnapped Sita a.k.a Raagini, and Ram a.k.a Dev retrieved her after fighting with Raavan with the help of Hanuman (a.k.a Govinda). When she came back he doubted her, which I have always felt completely ruined the Ram image (even in the original Ramayana)! Other incidents being, Raavan ruling some rakshas-land quite well, and having 2 brothers, one of whom suggests peace etc.. And we all know it is a Mani movie, so there has to be a twist. Raavan has to be the nice guy (because he is the hero!) and Sita has to, at some point, understand Raavan's goodness- and maybe, just maybe, change over to his side. Is that the end? What justifies Raavan? And why did Ram doubt Sita? - these are the only things that Mani tried to answer in the plot.
The first question he has ruined the answer by bringing in a very hackneyed plot of raped sister etc, which was not only unnecessary, but even fails to make us think Raavan is any better. After all, he was always a bad guy. His sister getting raped didn't change him into one. If Mani wanted to say everyone makes mistakes, Ram questioning Sita in the end alone was enough.
The second question, Mani has tried something- not hackneyed, but not completely sensible- average at best! "Well tried"!

But forget the plot. What makes Mani a great director is that he can pick a few roles off an old tale and put them in a modern setting, and still, carve their characters from umpteen angles perfectly. If the plot of Raavan wasn't anything at all, the characterization was too good! From the scene Beera proposes to Sita, to the one where he talks about jealousy and the last scene, all conversations captured the pangs of unrequited love- I was wishing there were more such! Also commendable was the portrayal of Sita's plight- a strong woman in captivity in a foreign land (in a repulsive, if not frightening, environment)- her fear, her attitude towards her captors, her longing for her husband, her emotional struggle- everything was captured in graphic detail. Of course, someone else in Ash's place might have done better, but then- it wasn't bad at all! (Or maybe I expected lesser from Ash :D)

And the last half hour (when most of the underlying theme unraveled)- in one word, was simply awesome.

Cinematography- is something one cannot miss in a "Raavan" review- the landscape was breathtaking. And so was Ash. True to the promos, Raavan did show a different world altogether. And I think it added to the metaphor of a woman held hostage in a foreign land. Sivan's camera always knew which grasshoppers in the forest to pause at, and which angles to zoom into, but I think this time, it was the place itself, in addition to the camera. Some places simply look amazing even with a bad photographer. Kudos to Sivan anyway!

The music was another hyped thing. The songs didn't sound great off-screen, but onscreen the rustic tones blended with the mood well. Not superlative, but good enough.
Over all, I would still say Mani did a god job- because taking a standard plot and making a GOOD movie with that needs some flair. Maybe I should say "Raavan" is like a symbolic painting. Not great right away, but if you have the taste for subtle undertones and understand rich imagery, you would love it. It is not a Mona Lisa, but some respectably good painting. On tree bark. Good, nevertheless..


P.S- I have still not seen "Raavanan" because of this Bangalore ban thing... I always expected it to be a lot better (with Vikram in). On Friday, after seeing Raavan, I doubt if this plot could be done any better than in Hindi- the first impression was that good. I do hope it is! :)