Category Archives: Alaipayuthey

Alaipayuthey 20

Celebrating 20 years of Alaipayuthey with 20 specialties of the movie.

1. Colours

Be it the happy, vibrant colours of Shakti’s salwar kameez or Karthik’s blue shirts or the scenery in Pacchai Nirame or the rich Indian colours during functions in Yaro Yarodi, Alaipayuthey or Mangalyam songs or be it the dark tone when the movie takes on a serious note in the second half. The colours by themselves match the scene in every single frame.

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The Magic of Alaipayuthey – 20 Years Later

This blog of mine has always been synonymous with celebrating all things Alaipayuthey! So, it would be highly unfair if I leave this special occasion of Alaipayuthey turning 20 without at least a passing mention here. But when have I ever been able to stick to just a ‘passing mention’ of Alaipayuthey? 😉 So, here is yet another heartfelt raving about that special movie!

Sometime in the beginning of April during one of those sleepless nights, it struck me that Alaipayuthey was turning 20 this year. Since then, there have been quite a few reminiscences going on in my mind. From thinking of 20 special things to 20 special scenes to recollecting certain write-ups of mine, Alaipayuthey has yet again been giving me quite a few relaxing moments during this much-needed anxious period!

While it would be cliched to say that this movie remains as special to me today as it was 20 long years earlier, it is indeed the case. When I saw earlier in the day that Mani Ratnam was going to be appearing Live on Facebook with Suhasini, I set a reminder and watched it from the start to finish, absolutely hooked to it. And then when Madhavan made an appearance in the show, I can’t tell you how much the Alaipayuthey fan in me was rejoiced! Is there any better way to celebrate Alaipayuthey?!

As Madhavan said the famed ‘Naan onna virumbala’ dialogue in the show, the magic in these words were as fresh today as it was when we first heard it. Madhavan asked Mani Ratnam about why there was such lengthy, filmy dialogue in this, so unlike his usual style. Before I knew it, I was thinking about several of the proposal scenes in all his other films.

When Suhasini showed a mirror with a colourful backdrop, even before she started talking about it, I shouted out loud, ‘Hey this is the Alaipayuthey mirror!’ 😀 She indeed did confirm that this was a mirror which she had bought in Hauz Khas, Delhi and was used in Alaipayuthey. Knowing yet another new trivia about anything and everything related to Alaipayuthey excited me today as much as it did during my teens. 🙂 That mirror in which the thaali is hung 🙂

If watching a mere Live conversation with Mani Ratnam gets me this excited, guess how much the movie still excites me even today!

Alaipayuthey Nostalgia!

I saw this snapshot from Alaipayuthey posted in a group with the caption ‘Karthik and Shakthi had their mudhal sanDai (first fight)’.

To me, Alaipayuthey will always remain synonymous with that happy, carefree phase of life. As I was telling my children the other day, being the grownup adult is no fun!

Alaipayuthey – The Colours!

Watching Alaipayuthey fully last Saturday, I seriously couldn’t recollect the last time I watched it fully! It definitely has been a few years! Watching it make me feel 17 years younger, got me away from feeling like an oldie having entered into my 30s. 😉 And yes, it made my hands itch to write something about it here!

I love colours – deep, rich colours, vibrant hues, bold strokes of colours on a canvas and even dull, moody tones. Alaipayuthey is one movie which literally celebrates colours through the song ‘Pacchai Nirame‘ and through almost every single frame. It is not just Pacchai Nirame, each and every scene of which glorifies the many varied hues of colours painted naturally by nature on this wide canvas called earth and sky.

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ARR 50!

Celebrating Rahman’s music as he turns 50 years today! Here are 50 of my favourite songs of A R Rahman: (Random, no particular order)

Foot-tapping Songs:
1. Andha Arabic Kadaloram – Bombay
2. Thee Thee – Thiruda Thiruda
3. Rang De Basanti
4. Mental Manadhil (Female) – OK Kanmani
5. Chaiyya Chaiyya – Dil Se
6. Ooh La La La – Minsara Kanavu
7. Nenjinile/Jiya Jale – Uyire/Dil Se
8. Dil Se Re/ Sandhosha Kanneere
9. Fanaa – Aayitha Ezhuthu
10. Yeh Dilli Hai Mera Yaar – Dilli 6

Most Romantic Songs:
11. Pudhu Vellai Mazhai – Roja
12. Moongil Thottam – Kadal
13. Tu Bin Bataye – Rang De Basanti

Happy Songs:
14. Poo poo pookkum Osai – Minsara Kanavu
15. Barso Re – Guru
16. Pacchai Nirame – Alaipayuthey
17. Thirakkadha Kaattukkulle – En Swaasa Kaatru

Songs I turn to when in deep thought:
18. Latika’s Theme – Slumdog Millionaire
19. Dichotomy of Fame – Rockstar
20. Never Give Up – Million Dollar Arm
21. Aaromale (Female) – Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya

Emotional, Beautiful Songs:
22. En Kadhale – Duet
23. Mannippaaya – Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya
24. Uyirum Neeye – Pavithra
25. The Banyan Theme – Conveys emotions sans words

Random Favourite Songs
26. Parandhu Sella Vaa – OK Kanmani
27. Hey Goodbye Nanba – Aayitha Ezhuthu
28. Poovukkenna Poottu – Bombay
29. Yaayire – Rangeela
30. Telephone Manipol – Indian
31. Muppathu Nimidam – Parasuram
32. Mellisaye – Mr Romeo
33. Theendai – En Swaasa Kaatre
34. Chinna Chinna Aasai – Roja
35. New York Nagaram – Sillunu Oru Kadhal
36. Kucchi Kucchi Rakkamma – Bombay
37. Ishq Bina – Taal
38. O Rey Chori – Lagaan
39. Yeh Rasta Hai Kah Raha – Swades
40. Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera – Swades
41. I am Sorry – One 2 Ka 4
42. O Baawre – Daud
43. Vaaji Vaaji – Sivaji

Songs with beautiful interludes:
44. July Madham Vandhal – Pudhiya Mugam
45. Malargale – Love Birds
46.Kannamoochi – Kandukondain Kandukondain
47. Azhage Sugama – Paarthaale Paravasam

Special Pieces
48.Spirit of Unity concert theme
49.Worldspace theme
50. Thaai Manne Vanakkam – Vande Mataram (I prefer the Tamil)

Pacchai Nirame – Happiness!

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Listening to Pacchai Nirame on a loop, after a long, long time, I realize yet again that

  • despite the years that have passed by, the song still sounds as fresh as it did the very first time I listened to it!
  • the happiness oozing out of it still continues to rub off on me and makes me feel so very happy!
  • its music is as vibrant and cheerful as the colours portrayed in its picturization and lyrics!
  • every time I am in awe of the rich colours of nature, it is this beautiful song that will come to my mind first!
  • this is a song to turn to for celebrating those simple, boundless joyful moments of life, for, after all, wasn’t this song created to portray that simple happiness evoked by getting a smile from the lady the man is attracted to?
  • this is THE song which makes me forget everything else and brings back nostalgic memories after memories which are ALL happy ones!
  • this is THE song which makes me feel like the awestruck teenager that I was who went gaga over Alaipayuthey, Rahman, Mani Ratnam and the very handsome Madhavan 😉
  • this is one unique song by Rahman which doesn’t have similarities with any other song
  • I can never have enough of writing about Alaipayuthey and everything associated with it
  • the song and its movie have so many memorable blog memories too associated with them
  • it will always remain THE most special song!

Couples in Mani Ratnam’s movies

In the show ‘Mani Matters’ on CNN-IBN, talking about Alaipayuthey, this is what Mani Ratnam said,

“To me, that’s where a love story starts. After hard facts of life of having to get up every morning, not just when you are trying to impress somebody, where you can be on your best behaviour, when you can charming, when you can be intelligent.

The relationship grows when it is faced with reality, when it is started…the milkman coming in, I mean, that’s where the real relationship starts.”

Hearing these lines, I started thinking about how not just in Alaipayuthey, but also in many of his movies, Mani Ratnam has portrayed the ups and downs in the relationship between a husband and a wife. His lead pair, in most of the films, has always been a married couple and not just lovers. His lead pair gets married in the course of the movie and he has always shown an equal share of romance as well as the complexities involved in the relationship.
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The note on the website

Now when everybody is talking about the director’s note on the website of Raavan, let’s revisit the note that was there on the website of Alaipayuthey. Check it out here in the archived website of Alaipayuthey. Follow the links below to read the notes on Karthik’s and Sakthi’s worlds too.

P.S.: To all those who got bored of this mini-series on Alaipayuthey, I’ll try to come up with posts on other topics soon!

Kadhal Sadugudu & Alaipayuthey

With this song, Mani Ratnam shows he needs neither exotic locales having nature’s beauty in abundance (Pacchai Nirame) nor a fort (Snehidhane) nor a festive atmosphere (Yaaro Yaarodi) and with just brick and cement (and not to forget those yellow and white bed spreads) as a backdrop, he can create stunning visuals too.
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The name, the font

The name itself is one among the numerous things about Alaipayuthey that instantly fascinated me. I really wish I could know what made Mani Ratnam give it a title like this and if he had any other names in his mind.

There was this programme telecast on Sun TV on the 14th of April, 2000 in which Madhavan, Shalini & Swarnamalya spoke about the movie. I remember Swarnamalya saying how much she liked the name of the movie. Seems she came to know the name only after hearing the story.

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It wasn’t just the name alone. I liked the font in which it was written too. As the first few minutes of the movie alternates between Madhavan on a bike and the titles of the movie, the titles in that nice font in white colour on a black background looks good too. Even though I later saw quite a few movies using this font, I’ll always associate this font only with Alaipayuthey.