My mind is empty.
But still it is filled fully with bubbles
I have been breaking them everyday
by dropping a drib of tears on each.
Today my mind turned
into a secondary emptiness.
Come on.
Please fill this void life
with the bubbles of thoughts and love
or at least with your sedating presence.

Raavan- A Santhosh Sivan film

Finally Raavan came. Both Hindi and Tamil version. After the tired ads and promotional tours by the leading actors, the film reached in our theaters.

This isn’t the first time Mani Ratnam’s film is being quite awkward to the viewers. By setting the Indian epic Ramayana as the thread of the film, Mani tried to give a 21st century’s face to Ravan and Ram. Regrettably it ended up in another inexcusably boring film of the Calendar year.

Raavan, the role played by Abhishek bachan not only could make any mark but also failed in front of the camera to perform naturally as he normally does. More over his character resembles a comic or a cartoon hero (sorry, not even a hero!!!) in the film. One can unhesitatingly say that the film is made for the Raavan and not for Rama, though the director trying to give importance to Ram with countable equivocal shots. I feel myself ashamed when thinking of those moments I got embraced by reading junior Bachan’s tweets about the upcoming magnificent film.

Aiswarya Rai, as usual, coming as a good for nothing character in this film too. But it is an inevitable fact that both the director and the cinematographer used her splendiferous beauty brilliantly.

There is nothing to be recalled markedly in the film except the roles played by Govinda and Priyamani. Though coming only in two or three scenes Priyamani could sign her caliber.

Now, coming to the real pathetic situation of the film. While celebrating Raavan as a Mani Ratnam film it becomes a complete Santhosh Sivan film (I am talking only in regard to the cinematography and not the direction. Santhosh depicted his power in Direction with his ten films). He portrayed the terrific beauty of Athirappally and other locations astonishingly. So I would like to consider Raavan as a portrait by Santhosh Sivan than a film directed by Mani Ratnam.

Although I was in an oasis of boredom whilst watching Raavan, I hope Mani Ratnam will come with a groovy film in near future.

When you said that you dont love me
I took that gun which
you gifted to your friend
And shot dead.
You know that I cant live
without your love.
You can take a drop of blood
that remains, when the bullet
pierced into your chamber of my heart.
Tell your friend to wash out
the imprints of my bloody hand
from his window glass with that red Saree
i wore wen we mated near the waterfall.
I have told you long back that
when the lines cross each other
there will be our destiny.
Oh water
Oh river
take all my sins
into your innocence.

(dedicated to Sajani, the role played by Nandita Das in the film 'Before the Rains')