Happy Birthday Mani Ratnam: Six movies that explored unusual romance
Mani Ratnam is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in India. The Iruvar director, known for his unique and thought-provoking films, is often considered the finest in Tamil and Hindi cinema. The Padma Shri awardee has redefined the romance genre, and he's not stopping anytime soon. On his 65th birthday, let us look at his six best movies that showed romance like never before.
'Raavan': Boldly captures Stockholm Syndrome, gripping take on romance
Ratnam boldly encapsulates Stockholm Syndrome in Raavan, a film that is based on the epic Ramayana. Taking us through picturesque jungles, the filmmaker tells the story of how a hero will do anything to save his love from evil. The emotions run high throughout the film, and the powerful acting of Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, and Abhishek Bachchan steals the show in this gripping romance.
'Roja': Capturing a wife's agony while rescuing her husband
Roja deals with the terrorism trope, but it also has an unparalleled romance at its center. It shows how a couple, with time, develops strong feelings for one another, and how that itself is a powerful force driving the wife to save her man from the clutches of militants. AR Rahman's (his debut movie) songs provide perfect support to Roja, which remains a masterpiece.
'Bombay': A Hindu-Muslim couple, with communal riots in the backdrop
Bombay starts off like any usual romance story, but Ratnam takes you through all the ordeals the couple faces, while being in love. They have to work together to fight for their families' approval. After all, they belong to different religions, something that's looked down upon even till today. The duo also has to save themselves from communal riots that are setting Bombay afire.
'OK Jaanu': A coming-of-age story about live-in relationships
Ratnam dealt with live-in relationships in O Kadhal Kanmani, a 2015 Tamil film, which later was remade to Ok Jaanu. This coming-of-age story, backed by Ratnam, starred Aditya Roy Kapur, and Shraddha Kapoor. The romance is breezy and youthful, but not without its challenges. The blockages they have to face from society and within themselves have been realistically portrayed in this Shaad Ali directorial.
'Yuva': An emotional love story intertwined between politics
Yuva's primary focus is politics, however, we still witnessed several unique love stories. Be it between two bubbling young hearts (Kareena Kapoor Khan and Vivek Oberoi), a goon and his ignored wife (Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji) or a student leader and his neighbor (Ajay Devgn and Esha Deol), every single arch of romance will make you want to fall in love.
'Dil Se..': Romance that starts with a chai ends tragically
Falling in love with a terrorist, who ignores you despite having feelings (for obvious reasons), but you're relentlessly in love with her...so much that you agree to die hugging her, in a bomb blast. That's the crux of Dil Se.., which is set against the insurgency in Northeast India. The romance has been beautifully exhibited, with a climax that shakes you to the core.
