By Srinivasan Sundar
It is easy to get overwhelmed by Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan -1 juggernaut. After all, the film provides a magnificent culmination to the collective efforts of the Tamil film industry, including the attempt by the all-time biggest star of Kollywood and the ex-Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MGR, to capture Kalki’s magnum opus in celluloid. But apart from creating an opportunity to celebrate a director, successful films also provide a much needed pitstop to take a closer look at the filmmaker’s body of work. And on such occasions one instinctively goes to the most underrated creation, and that’s when Iruvar caught my eyes. But wait a minute. To be honest the film’s critical acclaim and fandom has only improved over the years. Its rating has been going up. Finally, I end up at Anjali – an agmark underrated creation, written and directed by Mani Ratnam.
Released in 1990, the film has a tragic and tested storyline. Its goes like this – it is life as usual for a character (or bunch of characters here) when a totally external person is introduced amidst them; conflicts, struggles, reconciliation and finally love and deep bonds; life gets so sweet and that is when the person is abruptly removed from them. Bala’s Pithamagan is a compelling instance of a story developed using this DNA. The Karthik portion from Mouna Raagam has the same core.With some open tributes to Steven Spielberg’s E.T, which was also woven around this framework, Anjali is easily among the most well-made films around children.
The film may well be the first one in Kollywood to introduce us to an apartment complex. But it is not just about novelty; the way the story integrates with the physical setting is worth a study in itself. For instance, take the Motta maadi… song or the place where the ‘society’ confronts Anjali’s family. The plot is so much woven around the location that it ceases to be a mere physical environment and takes a life on its own just like any other living character.
Anjali is a film that treated children like well, children. You see groups of them noisily running around, punching and kicking, watching over the adults, harassing and asking questions like ‘How are children born?’ The songs are fully children-centric and are also sung by children in their own sweet voices rather than Janaki amma or Mano singing in false voices.The background score by Ilayaraja (his 500th film) is a masterpiece. The Something..something.. song that sets the tone for the fun riot of a housing complex is such a fun number. All the songs are written from the points of view of children; while that eliminates the songs from being preachy or philosophical (the types of – Nallapaerai vaanga vaendum pillaigaley… & Kuzhandaiyum dheivamum manathaal ondru.. ) interestingly it also reveals a lot of cool things about kids.But such very things also made a section of the audience twitch as it did not fit in the mould of ‘onscreen children’ of Kollywood; the kids of Anjali were branded as adhigaprasangis (‘acting smart’). But they are not. On the contrary,even factoring the vintage, Anjali children are only a toned down version of real kids of urban apartments. If you know what I mean.
Moving away fromthe director’s hat-trick hit collaboration with P.C.Sreeram, Anjali had Madhu Ambatas its cinematographer. Replete with hard lighting, pastel colours costume, visual experimentation in songs, innovative camera angles and blocking (like a revolving shot from the bottom of a staircase),beautifully shot home interiors, et al, Anjali built over Mani Ratnam’s distinct approach to visuals that had by then got crystallised with Agni Natchathiram.
Mani Ratnam is known for bold casting decisions (the recent one being Jayam Ravi in PS-1) and nothing gets bolder than casting the most dangerous upcoming villain in the industry as the anchor character in a children’s film with a delicate subject. Hands down Anjali was one of Raghuvaran’s best performance. Actors like Revathy, Saranya, V.K.Ramasamy, Prabhu, Janagaraj and co. from his earlier films deliver on their mandates. But it is the child actors who steal the show. But again, more than to the little actors themselves the credit for pulling it off with dozens of noisy children purely goes to the ace filmmaker. Just try talking to someone who tries to click a group picture with children about 8-9 years of age; your assessment of the director would amp up some 10 times. The kind of performance the kids were made to deliver is just mind blowing. There is not a shade of a slip or a compromise anywhere. Shamili’s performance, as the titular character of a little autistic girl with a terminal illness, is simply stellar. To bank on the cliché, she did not just perform the role of Anjali, she lived (and died) as Anjali.
In Anjali the children also undergo emotional challenges along with the adults. But rather than looking up to the adults for doling out solutions, right from the prelude sequence, the children chip in and handle the problems of adults too in their own ways. Precisely because of this defining feature the film is a genuine film on children. (The only place the writing falters is the pre-climax fight sequence.) Written with an extraordinary level of maturity that balances love and pity, Anjali still maintains its position as a must-watch film on children.
But in the incredible filmography of the ace filmmaker, preceded by path-breaking works like Nayakanand Mouna Ragam, and immediately followed by heavyweights like Thalapathy and Roja and the run continuing with PS-1, it is so natural that such a simple, soulful creation gets hidden deeper. Anjali would have been among the most celebrated films of Tamil cinema had it not been made by Mani Ratnam. This is so very unfair to Anjali.
Macaulay Perapulla
October 18, 2022
You missed SPB’s Gruff song number that threatened to take his voice away: “Raathiri Nerathil” and the mind-bending picturization of the song sequence. Every time I read a story to my son, it is Anjali that flashes in my memory. What a lovely movie. Thank you for the nice nostalgia!
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Madan
October 18, 2022
Lovely write up. Can do nothing but agree completely. Anjali is the forgotten gem in Mani’s work.
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Srinivas R
October 18, 2022
“On the contrary,even factoring the vintage, Anjali children are only a toned down version of real kids of urban apartments. If you know what I mean” – nodding my head at this. Seeing what 7-8 years discuss these days, the kids in Anjali are not adhigaprasangis at all.
I watched it when I was 9 & the tragedy was too much for me to take. Revathy was heartbreakingly good in the movie. One of her best works imo.
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hari prasad
October 18, 2022
I think this and Agni Natchathiram had the most fun and jolly soundtracks / songs ever in an otherwise serious Mani Sir’s filmography.
Even the Nirosha back story in Agni Natchathiram gets followed up with a fun , jovially sounding Vaa Vaa Anbe Anbe.
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hari prasad
October 18, 2022
And special mention to the Vegam Vegam song , I love listening to that song whenever I travel on a bus or a train , one of my favorite go to travel songs after Arjunar Villu and Ennai Konjam Maatri😊
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Madan
October 18, 2022
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Madan
October 18, 2022
Vegam Vegam is such a wonderful track. Raja slyly bringing back elements from the second interlude of Puthu Maapillaiku into the arrangements of Vegam and Vegan and then adding some of his best ever piano writing.
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Honest Raj
October 18, 2022
Not sure the film is underrated. May be, forgotten in today’s times.
Moving away fromthe director’s hat-trick hit collaboration with P.C.Sreeram, Anjali had Madhu Ambatas its cinematographer.
It was on PC’s insistence that MR collaborated with MA. Also, they did four films together (including Geetanjali).
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Anand Raghavan
October 19, 2022
Lovely write-up on a lovely movie made with such a sensitivity. Amazing background score by Raja. Whomever the neighbours considered their trouble makers ,leave them making them realise their folly , but only Anjali will never return.
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Yajiv
October 19, 2022
I would disagree slightly about “underrated”, althought this might be true with Gen Z kids who may not be exposed to MR’s earlier films. I can safely say that this movie was a childhood classic for most millenial Tamils. I remember getting nightmares as a kid because I watched Raathiri Nerathil right before bedtime 🙂
I haven’t watched it as an adult though. This film has such a special place in my heart that I’m worried that viewing it now might spoil it (that I might find the sentimentality too cloying, etc.).
Thanks for the write-up!
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hari prasad
October 19, 2022
It was surprising to see many kids of today don’t know the fact that Anjali , Agni Natchathiram , Thiruda Thiruda and Geethanjali were Mani Ratnam directorials.
They know the Mouna Raagams , the Alaipayutheys , the Nayagans and even the Kadals.
Thank God , they didn’t know that a movie named Idhaya Kovil exists in MR’s filmography.
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Keshor Talwar
October 20, 2022
Almost real. Very realistic and touching movie. We could not hold our emotions and cried. One of the best Tamil movie. Songs blended very well. Raghuvaran, Revati, Shamli and the entire gang of children did a fantastic job. I would love to show this movie to my grandchildren 👍👏👌
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Madan
October 20, 2022
“It was surprising to see many kids of today don’t know the fact that Anjali , Agni Natchathiram , Thiruda Thiruda and Geethanjali were Mani Ratnam directorials.” – Perhaps, rightly or not, these are not seen as epoch making films in the way Mouna Raagam or Nayagan are. And Kadal just happens to be relatively recent.
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sravishanker1401gmailcom
October 21, 2022
Great write up! Brings back womderful memories of standing outide Anand theatre waiting for the counetr to open. Also happenned to see G Umapathi (Agni Natchathram villain and Anand theater owner) wait outside for something else. In thse days we used to hang our eyes lovingly on the photos put up on the bulletin board weeks before the movie released trying to guess the story.
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V
October 22, 2022
Anjali – wow, reminds me how crazy I used to be as a pre-teen over this film and its songs. When I watched the film upon its release, even I felt the kids were adhiga prasangi, coz I was an adhiga-chamathu at that time. Upon rewatching it, after having kids, yeah they were quite normal & as pesky as they should be at that age
Tarun was amazing as Arjun, the anna so much that the single child in me wanted an Anna just like him. The elder sister Anu was outstanding – her “yendhru Anjali yendhru” is when the audience breaks into tears too (atleast I did!). Apparently only Shamili’s name was presented for National award, but the jury was mighty blown away by these two kids too that they awarded a joint Best Child Artist award for all the three.
Apparently, Mohan was the first choice for the appa role & it was supposed to segue from Mouna Ragam. Mohan did not want to play a dad to 3 kids & it went to Raghuvaran, who simply elevated the film to new levels. I feel it is because of Raghuvaran’s beautiful underplay, Mani felt the need to bring in Prabhu who was slightly filmy in his portrayal. Revathy had no qualms playing mom to three – shows why she is among our best.
Ilayaraja – no let me stop here. One cant write an essay in the comments section & Ive already taken too much space. I want to watch this film with my kids now & cry my heart out at Yendru Anjali yendhru again
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Manjunath P
October 23, 2022
One of the greatest film of our childhood is Anjali. It can be re released in multiple languages still will be more appropriate to these days. Truly a masterpiece
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