Raavan.

I happened to watch Raavan last night. Putting all its critiques/criticisms and reviews aside, I decided to give the movie a dekho. And why? Because the photography/cinematography screamed out to me from the posters and trailors that were splashed everywhere.

So, I watched Raavan. And I'm glad I did.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and views, yes. However, what amazed me at the end of the movie was the absolute brutality with which the film had been shot down. I do not follow the box office and therefore do not know the rating/standing this movie has at the BO. Personally however, I thought it to be a well-rounded film. And by well-rounded, I mean this:

The story: dramatic, yes. Which film would do as well without its share of drama? I loved the plot, the way it was created and built up right till the end. I liked the subtlety and panache with which the story rolled out.

The screenplay: I loved every detail the movie was ornate with. Every shot, every thought and every step from start to finish. Even though I personally feel that Mani Ratnam can be a tad bit obsessed with the gruesomeness of violence, the rest of the movie/story padded the gory-ness.

The cinematography: simply astounding. Yes, the locations were top notch, but I firmly believe that it's not the camera but the person behind the lens who makes all the difference. And so it does.

The characters: now this according to me, was the most amazing part. If the audience could delve further beyond the shallow surface of the glitz and glam, they would see the beauty that each character holds. My special leaning towards Beera, however, is a personal choice. Move beyond the scenes, the camera and how annoying Aishwarya Rai is known to be in real life to see what each character means. I love how symbolic the movie was, even though it bordered on being overdramatic (with Dev [Vikram] in a white shirt and Beera [Abhishek] in a black one, fighting on a bridge etc etc etc).

What appealed most to me was the underlying meaning that the movie was trying to convey. The ever present debate on good vs. evil and who really represents these dimensions.

Overall, I find the movie to be a good, colourful, rustic and holistically made one where everything falls together to make a perfect fit.

The only disappointment for me was the ending since I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Beera, :)