Mouna Ragam

A true Mani Ratnam classic. In a world where people walk away from relationships the moment there are signs of trouble this movie shows that love and commitment are rewarded. If you care to look under the surface, this movie explains how and why marriages in conservative societies last even though people are brought together by fortune rather than by a liking for each other.

The characters in the movie are powerful and well supported by the cast. Ilayaraja shows why he was the king of Indian movie music with some lovely and captivating music.

I personally believe it's Mani Ratnam's best film because it doesn't have any political plotlines like his other films and so it can be enjoyed by general audience.

The film's story is still relevant in 2021. Women in India are free to make every decision except their marriage. Women may date many men or even fall in love but they can't marry without their parents permission. Arranged marriages used to work well back when there were no social media platforms. But now many arranged marriages don't last long because it's easy to meet new people. This film has protrayed plight of every Indian women in the society.

Revathi has given phenomenol performance and eliyaraja's music is icing on the cake.

maniratnam is hailed universally as a great film-maker with a unique style. although i am not a great fan of his, this movie i think was his best - even ahead of roja.

mouna ragam is a tender movie that pulls at the heartstrings, revathi - in one of her best ever roles - absoluitely steals the show. maniratnam handles the complex relationship between the husband and wife beautifully. kartik as the wife's ex-lover scintillates in his cameo.

the capacity of the human heart to love, its wont to love more than one person is tenderly shown, revathi's reluctance to love her husband and how she slowly changes heart but refuses to acknowledge it are what makes the movie a delight to watch. a movie that can and should ne seen many times over.

this is a tru classic that deserves a full 10.

Mani Ratnam has made so many great films(Nayakan, Agni Natchathiram, Roja, Bombay, etc.,.) over the years. But this masterpiece is what put him in the limelight. Mouna Raagam is a perfect example on how a Indian movie should be made. Along with Roja, I believe that Mouna Raagam is Ratnam's best movie. Mohan and Revathi give brilliant heartfelt performances. Some of their scenes will really make you feel what they're feeling. As great as Mohan and Revathi were, Karthik was the real star of Mouna Raagam. He's on-screen for about 25 minutes and what you see is simply a revelation. His defiant ways, his playful antics towards Revathi will make one wonder why he wasn't in the movie longer. Illyaraja's music is absolutely brilliant, but special mention must go to his BGM. The BGM used in several scenes(especially the Karthik-Revathi scenes)is one of Raja's all-time best.

P.C. Sriram's photography is just the icing on the cake. Mouna Raagam won several national awards, including best film, in 1986. I believe it deserved all the awards it got. A real tamil classic.

What kind of a love story would possibly be there in an arranged marriage? And yet, that is what the female protagonist finds out...that she can actually fall in love with a man she has been forced to marry in spite of all her misgivings.

What you will see is a beautiful love story that depicts how men are from Mars, women are from Venus, but in the end they need to communicate. A story that shows no matter how a man and woman meet, no marriage can last if it is not borne out of mutual respect, love, and understanding for each other.

Ilayaraja uses a simple tune in almost every frame (except songs) as the background score, but varies it using different instruments and scales to convey the various moods and passions.

Absolutely Maniratnam's best movie, and Revathy's finest performance. Enjoy again, and again, and again. Everything about this movie is special, and the songs are outstanding as well.