மாற்றங்களே வினா. மாற்றங்களே விடை.
What-ifs are always beautiful. Everyone has at least one moment in their life where they would still think what-if I've done that differently.
96, right from the title design we know it's going to kindle our 90s memories. And, even the story and what we can expect was pretty clear from that teaser and a trailer. And, also it was evident that the music was gonna play a bigger role. Never ever in Tamil Cinema, I've seen a musical piece receiving the applause as much as this "Kadhale Kadhale" musical bit got right when the credits rolled or when Trisha introduced. The third hero apart from VJS and Trisha is obviously Govind Vasantha and his violin.
The story starts with "Life of Ram" song, where we see him travel around lonely and ends with a long shot of him writing his name and I think "Jaanu" too in a beach. So, that's Ram, unmarried, single, wanderer, who still loves Jaanu. So, who's this Jaanu? When Ram accidentally crosses his hometown, he visits his school and where he wanders around, but I was expecting them to cut to the flashback, no, the director didn't. So, it rekindles his memory and that leads to the get-together of 96 batch after 20 years. When Ram hears Jaanu's name, we get the much-awaited flashback and get to know that Jaanu. And, also a night Ram and Jaanu get to spend together after 20 years.
Jaanu, short for Janaki Devi, who is a good singer, sings only S. Janaki's songs. These school days portions are cute and we see the innocent love that develops and how the friends find out and help them. And, Ram kept forming waves in his hands asking his friends to tell Jaanu to sing Yamunai Aatrile, but she keeps singing other Janaki songs which are subtle message to Ram. And, she does sing Yamunai Aatrile, but not when he expects her to sing.
After seeing Jaanu in the flashback, everybody was expecting Trisha and there she comes after almost an hour with the much-loved BGM, the whole theatre erupts. I don't remember any of the heroine introduction this much loved like this in recent times. Then, like the famous red-velvet scene in Premam, we have a fried-rice scene here where Govind Vasantha once again just elevates it with his beautiful music. Another scene, where they go through his suitcase with his memories which contains his school uniform shirt, her dupatta which oozes "palaya vasanai". And, that end shot too, so good where her jeans and dress goes into that suitcase and this night too as a memory.
Ram and Jaanu, both the young actors and VJS, Trisha have done wonderfully. And, their friends as well, Divya Darshini, Aadukalam Murugadoss, and Bhagavathi and their younger version actors as well. Also, nice to see Janagaraj in a small role.
And, half the credits and praise for Jaanu goes to Chinmayi as well for her dubbing and singing all the songs. Not just the songs in the album, those beautiful Ilayaraja songs as well, Thendral Vanthu and Yamunai Aatrile. Everyone clapped instinctively after her Thendral Vanthu rendition at the reunion. And, whoever sang for the younger Jaanu as well.
So, Premkumar makes an excellent debut and also amazing screenplay to keep you hooked for nearly three hours with just two characters. A very natural VJS and Trisha, Govind Vasantha's music and songs help big time. And, so many beautiful shots around Chennai in that night by the cinematographer.
And, the most beautiful part of this movie is even here there's a 'what-if' portion that comes in the second half where Jaanu narrates her imaginary story of VJS's proposal to VJS's students. Both, of them, know that was a big moment which changed both their lives. 'What-if' Jaanu had seen Ram or 'what-if' Ram have waited and met her in person. So, we get Jaanu's version of 'what-if'. No other visual could have justified the "Kadhale Kadhale" song as well. That was literally the best part of this movie for me. I wish the movie ended right there I could have just imagined Ram and Jaanu are now together in some other parallel time.
Very nice dear
ReplyDelete