Journey Of Love. Review on Punnagai Mannan Movie

I feel its fair enough to say that Punnagai Manan is without a doubt one of the greatest love stories set against a musical backdrop to emerge in Indian cinema, and I say that purely out of the film's merits and the way in which it had been projected for its sensitive theme than boasting about or comparing the Great Indian North-South divide, which many people use it to utmost irritable debates, claiming supremacy over each others race, forgetting the very fact that both are fighting and pulling out each other of the same sect. Anyways let us get back to the review. But just before that I’d like to add a few points. If you look at my reviews in general, I try not to divulge its climax or talk unnecessary issues. I try to keep my reviews short, sweet and a bit hanging here and there, so it may peruse the reader to watch it than merely reading and visualising the whole movie in the screen inside his mind. I follow the principle of *KISS * [Keep It Short and Simple]

Directed by the veteran of Tamil cinema K. Balachandar, he once again paints the celluloid with a touching story about the immortality of love. The film opens as Sethu(Kamal Haasan) and Ranjini(Rekha) count their moments before plunging to death as they’re communion is opposed by her parents. Since Sethu belongs to a low class and his father being a cook, Ranjini’s father strongly dismisses him from being his prospective son-in-law. In the fateful event, Ranjini dies but Sethu survives. He’s sentenced to one-year imprisonment much to his own surprise, as he doesn’t wish to live. His uncle, Chaplin Chellapa(Kamal Haasan) a man who dedicated his life to make people laugh, instils hope and sense into him. Upon his return from prison he heads home, but finds new additions to his father’s growing collection of wife’s.

Not wanting to be a part of the herd, he takes up a job as a dance instructor in an arts centre offered by Padmini(Srividya), who runs the institute. Life goes on without any hold until he spots Malini(Revathi) on the verge of committing suicide at the very place he plunged with Ranjani, which he now considers as his ‘monument of love’. He succeeds in persuading her to change her mind, giving a few insights on the values of life to which she humbly submits. Malini develops a liking towards Sethu, and enrols in his dance class, but his hostile rude attitude towards her makes things difficult. Her love increases even more when she learns about his past from Chaplin Chellapa, who also provides her with ample ideas to woo him. Despite his best attempts to stay away from Malini, Sethu is drawn to her and confesses his secret admiration towards her ever since they met. Life brings upon a sea of change as Sethu begins to reinvent himself through Malini’s immense love. All’s well until he meets Malini’s parents, as they humiliate him for being a cook’s son, whereas Malini hails from a wealthy Sri Lankan family. Sethu’s past misfortunes continue to chase him as Malini’s parents firmly reject their love. Will history repeat itself…

The musical sequence just before Sethu proposes Malini is regarded as one of the most cherished moments on screen of Tamil cinema, and is being regarded as one of Iliyaraja’s best musical score, apart form many other haunting tunes that haunts us. Kamal deserves applause for bringing back to life cinema’s most loved character of all time as homage to Charlie Chaplin. A movie that’s been immortalised like the immortality of love, will engrave its own place in your hearts for times to come.

A definite classic that is not to be missed…. Never.