O Kadhal Kanmani
Reviews
timesofindia
The pre-release buzz around Mani Ratnam's O Kadhal Kanmani was that it is a sequel to Alaipayuthey and while the maker has denied this, nonetheless, the film does feel like a spiritual cousin to the earlier film. The circumstances that led to the films couldn't have been any similar. At the time he made Alaipayuthey, Mani Ratnam had delivered a couple of films (Iruvar, Dil Se) that did not work at the box office and questions were raised on whether this avowedly mainstream filmmaker was not connecting with his audience. This time, after the failed experiments of Raavanan and Kadal, these questions are being raised yet again. And the filmmaker shows that his touch is in tact and he can still make a romance come alive on screen. With some help from PC Sreeram, whose gorgeous, superbly-lit frames capture the beauty of both Mumbai and the cramped quarters of the lead couple, and AR Rahman, whose hip songs and background score, keeps the scenes throbbing, Mani Ratnam has given us a romantic film for this generation. Unlike Kadal, which never came together as a whole despite some standout moments, the scenes here flow organically, and let us soak in the breezy romance between Adhi and Tara (Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menon, who sizzle on screen). There are scenes that seem to mirror, as if purposefully, Alaipayuthey. As in that film, the meet-cute happens at the railway station and at a wedding. The pair woos each other on the train. Even the financial background of their families (Tara is super rich, while Adhi is a middle-class boy), and their fashionable jobs (if Alaipayuthey's Karthik was working in an IT startup and Shakti a medical student, Adhi here is a video game designer, while Tara is an architecture student) are similar. Like Shakti, Tara goes on a study tour (here, it is Ahmedabad) and like Karthik, Adhi follows his lover there. There is also an older couple as in that film informing their romance. And, there is even a search for a loved one that finally makes the lead couple realize what they actually want. But this is a love story about youngsters from this generation, who tend to give career the same importance as relationship. So, unlike Karthik and Shakti, who couldn't wait to get married, Adhi and Tara want to be together but at the same time, realize that their relationship comes with an expiry date (much like Arjun and Meera from Ratnam's Ayitha Ezhuthu) as she will be moving to Paris for higher studies while he might go to the US or the UK to earn more money. So, they settle for a live-in relationship and stay in the house of the elderly Ganapathy ( Prakash Raj, who gives his most understated performance since his brief role in Vettaiyaadu Vilayadu) and Bhavani (Leela Samson making a spirited debut). Ganapathy is a retired bank officer and Bhavani, a classical singer whose Azheimer's is in its early stage. Their easy-going relationship is one of the highlights in the film. Still, for all its infectious vigour, crackling dialogue and youthful vibe, there are times when we sense that we are watching a film that is lacking in punch as this tale is short on conflicts. This is especially true in the second half when, after a point, the characters seem to be repeating themselves (the whole sequence when Adhi and Tara decide to enjoy their last few days to the hilt seems redundant). Too much screen time is also given to the video game that Adhi is developing (an action thriller set in Mumbai where the hero has to rescue the heroine from a two-headed villain), which feels like a script that Ratnam discarded at some point in his career. But these are minor niggles that we need not be concerned too much about right now (but still need to be mentioned because we have come to expect so much from this director). They don't really take away much from how entertaining the film is, and more importantly, this is the time for us to celebrate a return-to-form of one of our premier filmmakers.
Movie Recommendation
Son of Satyamurthy2015-04-09The son of a rich businessman struggles to save his father's wealth after his demise. However, he faces many challenges when he becomes the sole breadwinner of his family.More...
Pushpa: The Rise2021-12-16As Pushpa, a labourer, rises in the world of red sandalwood smuggling, he ends up making many enemies. However, violence ensues when the police try to topple his illegal business.More...
Bangalore Days2014-05-30A fun roller coaster ride about three young people, Aju, Divya and Kuttan who are cousins, reach Bangalore to dream, discover & explore!More...
Thalavan2024-05-24The intense rivalry between two police officers—CI Jayashankar and SI Karthik takes a dark turn when a body is found in Jayashankar’s house, and he becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, which is led by Karthik, adding a layer of tension to their already strained relationship.More...
A Call to Spy2020-10-02The story of Vera Atkins, a crafty spy recruiter, and two of the first women she selects for Churchill's "secret army": Virginia Hall, a daring American undaunted by a disability and Noor Inayat Khan, a pacifist. These civilian women form an unlikely sisterhood while entangled in dangerous missions to turn the tide of the war.More...
Kanchana 22015-04-17A TV channel’s crew goes to a deserted beachside bungalow to stage a horror show but the place is actually haunted and the ghost(s) in the place possess the director and the cameraman in the team.More...
100 Days of Love2015-03-20Balan, a columnist, falls in love with his schoolmate, Sheela. What happens when Balan comes to know that Sheela is in a relationship with Rahul?More...
DD Returns2023-07-28Madhi and his friends hides a bag full of money and jewels in a haunted bungalow to ditch the police. When he goes to retrieve the bag, a ghost makes him play a survival game in order to leave with the bag.More...
Kadal2013-02-01A wrongdoer is caught red-handed and he is not going to forgive the man who exposed him.More...
Some Kind of Saint1979-03-22Country bumpkin Wolfgang believes he has been called by God and travels from Freilassing to Munich's den of iniquity to follow his Christian mission. Right at the train station, he graces an establishment with his presence. The barmaid Baby is moved by the strange bird and decides to support him in his mission - but not quite according to his wishes...More...
Mommy2014-09-19A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.More...
Inside Man2006-03-17When an armed, masked gang enter a Manhattan bank, lock the doors and take hostages, the detective assigned to effect their release enters negotiations preoccupied with corruption charges he is facing.More...
The Martian2015-09-30During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.More...
As2023-01-01Three years after the death of her beloved child, Elouise, Mara still feels her presence when she sits on the butterfly bedding in front of the jar with her ashes in it. Mara arranges a twelfth birthday party for Elouise, further alienating her from her husband, Richter, and remaining daughter, Hannah. Although Mara eventually vacates Elouise's room at the insistence of her husband, she does find a way to stay close to Elouise. Before long, however, Hannah discovers her mother's secret.More...
RE2014-01-01Emma returns to her childhood home only to find her past catching up with her.More...
Halftime2022-06-08Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight in this intimate documentary.More...
The Swan2023-09-27Two large, ignorant bullies ruthlessly pursue a small, brilliant boy in this young adult Roald Dahl short story.More...
Wizards of Waverly Place: Wizard School2008-04-06When Alex is caught using magic to clean her room she is forced to go to wizard school with Justin. Max and Jerry camp out on the terrace to prove their manhood.More...
Bad Influence2025-01-24An ex-con gets a fresh start when hired to protect a wealthy heiress from a stalker — but their chemistry is hard to resist as they grow closer.More...
A Widow's Game2025-05-30When a man is found dead, the investigation shatters his widow's perfect facade and exposes a hidden double life in this thriller based on real events.More...
Similar Movies
Ali and Alia
2019-02-28Ali and Alia are childhood neighbors that fell in love with each other, but bigger events occur in their lives which gets them separated. Ali seeks to maintain Alia's heart even if it is through substance abuse.Crash
1996-07-17A car crash victim suddenly finds himself turned on by car accidents and becomes involved with an underground sub-culture of like-minded souls.Willenbrock
2005-03-17Second-hand car sales man Willenbrock has everything that he could ever wish for. He is married, has two lovers, a cottage in the German city Grünen, and a BMW. Yet one day while at his cottage he gets mugged and his life is drastically changed. Little by little the world he once felt safe in falls apart around him.City Lights
1931-02-06A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.Do the Right Thing
1989-06-14Sal is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.Don't Look Now
1973-10-11While grieving a terrible loss, a married couple meet two mysterious sisters, one of whom gives them a message sent from the afterlife.The Gold Rush
1925-07-13A gold prospector in Alaska struggles to survive the elements and win the heart of a dance hall girl.Newsies
2017-02-16A week in the life of the exploited, child newspaper sellers in turn-of-the-century New York. When their publisher, Joseph Pulitzer, tries to squeeze a little more profit out of their labours, they organize a strike, only to be confronted with the Pulitzer's hard-ball tactics.Blackmail
1929-07-28London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his work than in Alice White, his girlfriend. Feeling herself ignored, Alice agrees to go out with an elegant and well-mannered artist who invites her to visit his fancy apartment.The Poseidon Adventur...
1972-12-01When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.Bread and Tulips
2000-03-03An endearing light comedy about a woman who spontaneously becomes a resident of Venice after her family left her behind. While enjoying the wonderful people she meets she achieves a new life and the first time independent of her family.Requiem for a Dream
2000-10-06The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.What Is True Love?
2015-01-07Best friends Liz and Megan are searching for love, but each takes a very different path to find it.Enough
2002-05-21Working-class waitress Slim thought she was entering a life of domestic bliss when she married Mitch, the man of her dreams. After the arrival of their first child, her picture perfect life is shattered when she discovers Mitch's hidden possessive dark side, a controlling and abusive alter ego that can turn trust, love and tranquility into terror. Terrified for her child's safety, Slim flees with her daughter. Relentless in his pursuit and enlisting the aid of lethal henchmen, Mitch continually stalks the prey that was once his family.The Bow
2005-05-12On a fishing boat at sea, a 60-year old man has been raising a girl since she was a child. It is agreed that they will get married on her 17th birthday. They live a quiet and secluded life, renting the boat to day fishermen and practicing strange divination rites. Their life changes when a teenage student comes aboard.A Perfect Murder
1998-06-05Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor is a man who has everything but what he craves most: the love and fidelity of his wife. A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his most treasured acquisition. But she needs more than simply the role of dazzling accessory.Ask the Dust
2006-02-02Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a first-generation Italian hoping to land a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.Moonstruck
1987-12-1637-year-old Italian-American widow Loretta Castorini believes she is unlucky in love, and so accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Johnny, even though she doesn't love him. When she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, an emotional and passionate man, she finds herself drawn to him. She tries to resist, but Ronny, who blames his brother for the loss of his hand, has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls for Ronny, she learns that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance.Mr. Holland's Opus
1995-12-29In 1965, passionate musician Glenn Holland takes a day job as a high school music teacher, convinced it's just a small obstacle on the road to his true calling: writing a historic opus. As the decades roll by with the composition unwritten but generations of students inspired through his teaching, Holland must redefine his life's purpose.Addicted to Love
1997-05-23Good-natured astronomer Sam is devastated when the love of his life leaves him for a suave Frenchman. He therefore does what every other normal dumpee would do — go to New York and set up home in the abandoned building opposite his ex-girlfriend's apartment, wait until she decides to leave her current lover, and then win her back.