The credit of having revolutionised the Tamil film industry or rather giving a new dimension to Indian cinema can be attributed to a minor group of film makers.Mani Rathnam is definitely one among the trailblazers.I have always been an ardent admirer of Mani Rathnam movies.Making a debut with an unconventional plot (Pallavi Anupallavi) ,he went on to make movies based on real-lives(Nayagan,Iruvar and Guru), terrorism (Roja,Bombay and Dil se) relationships(Agni Natchatiram, Thalapathi,Anjali) and ofcourse soft romantic movies(Mouna Ragam,Githanjali,Alaipayuthey).Yuva and Kannathil Muthamittal had a strong social message.And his yet-to-be-released film is said to be inspired by the Hindu epic,Ramayana..."Raavan".
Raavan....the primary antagonist of the epic,without whom there would have been no Ramayana.Though all of us are familiar with his negative traits,there are altering positive renditions to this mythological character.Raavan who is born to a Brahmin father,is a descendant of Brahmah.He is said to be a scholar who is well versed with the 4 vedas and 6 upanishads and hence the ten heads... depicting his vast knowledge. Ravana is considered a revered devotee of Lord Shiva.He is said to have authoured a book on astrology,Ravana Sanhita,which is said to be available in the museum of Nepal king.Though Lankapuri,(the architectural marvel of Vishwakarma)was usurped from Kubera,Ravana's half-brother,Ravana is said to have been excellent in his Administration and governance ....Lankapuri....today's Srilanka?
30 years of civil war...Illegal,inhuman treatment against the Sri Lankan Tamil civilians...brutal,barbaric acts ....the innocent have been subject to atrocities and war crimes inflicted by the Srilankan goverment.And in revolt,Velupillai Prabhakaran was born and so did the LTTE.Infact it makes us wonder weather a demonic regime is an inherent quality in Lanka!
When Tamils are continuing to suffer in Sri Lanka,we are hosting the 11th India International Film Academy (IIFA) awards in Srilanka?will we not be lending credibility to a regime which has destroyed human lives ruthlessly and committed horrendous human rights violations?As the saying goes,"A downtrodden class ... will never be able to make an effective protest until it achieves solidarity".
Kudos to the few,amongst whom Manirathnam tops the list by not attending the IIFA Awards ceremony and by further not premiering the film Raavan,the character's very own birthplace......I now have one more reason to admire the Ace Director!
Looking forward for the Magnum Opus!!
