Mouna Ragam

Mouna Ragam (1986) : Brief Review -

A Sensibile and Classic Romantic saga by Mani Ratnam which tells the difference between infatuated Boyfriend and Responsible Husband. Mouna Ragam has remained underrated for years, especially for pan India audience. Tamil audience is very much familiar with this film but outside South industry, only few film lovers knows about Mouna Ragam's existence. The same happened to me as well. Even I watched his other Mani Ratnam classics first and then came to know about this super Classic. I strongly believe, this film deserves equal popularity as Nayakan, Roja, Bombay or other popular classic of Mani Ratnam. I consider Romance as a dumb genre cause there are hardly some classics which makes sense otherwise it's all just typically melodrama or reconciliation or immatured love stories. With Mouna Ragam, i can say that it is a very matured film for the audience who have matures taste in films. Someone who likes dumb romance like Arjun Reddy or Kabir Singh or some other blockbuster romances (commercially i meant) should stay away from it. It might cause a humiliation to your immatured and childish tatse and then you'll start disliking the same dumb love stories which you have been loving for a long time. Mouna Ragam tells a story of a forced arrange marriage turning into sensible realisation of true love and life-long commitments. It has every scene set in right zone with right conviction and all of it is highly sensible and intellegent. That's important, being intelligence is very important believe me, especially in this Dumb Genre. Revathi and Mohan both gets the roles to remember, something which will always stay with audience and especially married couples. Mani Ratnam has made many classics in other genres, and some of those films are actually overhyped by fans, i would be happy to see this film getting the same hype as those, deservingly.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

This was my first Mani Ratnam movie and it left a lasting impression on me. Though this is an out-and-out Karthik movie, we cannot discount Murli's performance. Murli had to underplay the role. Karthik came as a tsunami and left leaving a wreck of emotions behind. Revathi bearing the most.

There is one scene in the movie that I can never forget. Revathi tell her husband not to touch her because it feels like caterpillar walking on her skin.

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.

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.

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.