User Reviews

How long will ManiRatnam keep spinning the same yarn? Two Lovers of different personalities, a conflict in the background (Kargil here), beautiful scenery/photography, Warm fuzzy music - these are the main chess pieces around which he tries to sugarcoat and spin different movies. Roja was cute, because it worked at various levels. Geetanjali (Telugu) was all IlaiRaaja show; Bombay, we nodded our acceptance despite its flaws, because the music was going for it big time; Dil Se was further slide down, but the music, photography and other assorted stuff sustained it as a well-received hit. If we really observe, we see this pattern, the above formula packaged with songs, technical brilliance as some great movie.

Same trend continues in this movie. There is literally no story here. It's Mani's self-indulgence of two characters from his imagination taking form and doing illogical things. And to make it worse, Karthi with his weird facial expressions (sometimes like a Rapist, sometimes like a goon) to bring Mani's PC character into flesh is unable to do it. It's a pity, because Karthi can act and unfortunately not able to pull it off here. And AditiR - she with delightful look which the camera seems to be kissing all the time in frame after frame - it gets too repetitive and at times it seems we are seeing DeepikaP or a Aishwarya Clone. Apart from this two characters, rest of the cast are mere props and have no connection to the story in any way. Less said about the escapades of Karthi and his buddies from Pakistan/Afghan prison, the better. Maybe ManiRatnam should be sent by Army to plan our release/escape of Kesh Jadav! Totally illogical.

Overall, a big letdown.

Apart from the obviously enchanting Ravi Varman visuals and Rahman's soulful soundtrack, the only other saving grace of the movie is the character of a 'Iraivi like' Leela played so effortlessly by Aditi. The way she expressed emotions with tamil language never felt like her debut movie. The borderline character (pun intended) of Karthi and his narration of the movie, and the whole screenplay is unnecessarily less exciting and empty.

Why did Mani Sir make Delhi Ganesan, RJ Balaji, Rukmini and the entire family of Karthi and other characters pointless without any strong connection with the main theme was the puzzle left to be figured out by us is what I felt.

Is it wrong to expect a good film from one of your favorite filmmakers, because I felt really disappointed from a kind of lukewarm effort from Mani Sir after watching the amazing promos. I guess we're recently spoiled from the incredibly amazing films from budding directors coming lately, making us expect more from veterans.

Kaatru Veliyidai worth watching only if you want to know how loving, forgiving and independent some women can be in relationships, despite the narcissistic nature of certain modern men.

Cheers!

Warning: spoilers ahead!!

I never write reviews and I literally sought this one out. I searched till I could find a place to write a review. I was very excited to watch this movie. Cause it was directed by Mani Ratnam and he is one of my favorite directors. As the movie went on, I realized it's a movie about a misogynistic and sadistic man to whom a relationship is about control. He was displaying typical characteristics of a domestic abuser. He emotionally, physically and mentally humiliated his girl friend. Isolated her, humiliated her parents, left her hanging, insulted her in front of his friends, waved her like a trophy and walked away when he heard that she was pregnant. Yet, when he was caught and freed himself miraculously ", he searched her out and she welcomed him with open arms and heart and gifted him a daughter for all his abuses! Oh, I will be damned!!!

In this movie a man can be what he wants and suffers no consequences other than in the hands of fate.a woman is helpless to even react to a man's tyranny and has to rely on fate to mete it out for her. Once fate has done its "justice", then it's okay for the woman to cry like a child, welcome him back like a hero and push her child on to him calling the child the man's responsibility!!

I was aghast, and I went in search of the reviews. Believe it or not, it was not until then I realized how messed up this situation was. There were people who raved about and there were people who found it disgusting, but there was none who found this abuse appalling. There was none that called it out for what it was - domestic abuse! Is it that OK in the culture for a woman to be that oppressed? A woman just complains and does nothing about it. Then, turns and runs into his arms?? Am I really a part of that culture? Wow! This was a shock for me on so many levels!!!

To start off, this movie is definitely worth a watch at least once. It's an interesting character study by Mani Ratnam (MR)attempted in indian cinema. While it could've dealt with it's issues better, and the issues it explores, it is an all around amazing movie. Here's why:

1. Cinematography - If there's one thing MR's movies are known for, it's their incredible cinematography. This collab. with Ravi Varman excels in the best way possible. From Alaipayuthey to Raavanan, this movie easily ranks amongst the top. From the glorious shots of Aditi in the snow to the backdrop of the Kargil War, this is one place the movie excels. The movie is worth watching for its cinematography alone. Ravi Varman does an incredible job!

2. Direction - It's a Mani Ratnam movie, has all the MR bells and whistles. Does an incredible job with the direction of the movie, amazing set pieces, spectacular production values. MR does it again!

3. Music - AR Rahman does a bang-up job of creating a bgm that is bound to stick in your heads. Music that is both hauntingly beautiful (Nallai Allai) to a catchy pop song (Azhagiye) to something you'll hear at weddings. (Saarattu Vandiyile). It demonstrates the range and maturity of AR Rahman's career to this point.The lyrics by Vairamuthu is also haunting and beautiful.

4. Characters - As compared to a lot of their previous movies, both actors do an incredible job at fleshing out their characters. However the spotlight has to go to Aditi Rao Hydari. She managed to portray the nuances of her character while maintaining a grounded, steady performance. While Karthi does a great job at portraying his character, where he excels in making us despise him (Due to the abusive nature of the protagonist) he does not in making us care for him. However, I believe this is to be more of a character development problem.

You see, to create two nuanced and very human characters, it takes a lot to portray them in a way that makes us care for them significantly. While the movie juggles a lot of things well, it fails to ask the question "Can the audience relate to this character?". Karthi who portrays VC, is a flawed character which is developed well to make us hate him, but does not to make us care for him. Do we even feel the remorse of the character in the end? Probably not. While Mani Ratnam is known for creating strong, independent and headstrong female lead characters,Leela Abraham, unfortunately, is not one of them.

5. Story - The film extrapolates a relationship, from start to finish. It's a love story. It's a flawed love story. If it were to bring about any type of reaction from the audience, I think it's a successful love story. While the movie deals with a very touchy and often normalized issue in society, it could've been done so much better. While the film tries to tackle the subject head on, it's in one key area that stood out - for a thoroughly "realistic" movie, in its climatic scene where it showed VC being a changed person meeting his daughter, it's unlikely that this is representative of real life. While I understand the director's intentions is to show that yes- people can change, it's rarely ever the case. The way Leela is an intelligent doctor, a self-made woman, independent and headstrong yet falters to VC - your typical bad boy with an abusive persona, infuriates me. However it is representative of real life, there are so many women out there who are scared to leave their abusive partners, but that's a part of the human condition, no? To be unable to leave the chains that bind us in the first place. I only hoped that, Leela left VC in search for someone better, because she deserved better.

Could not care less for the Kargil War - while i sympathize with the lives lost, this is one noticeable key area where the movie does not make me give a damn, at all.

6. Dialogue - Sometimes cheesy, sometimes very cringey. Mostly okay.

Final Thoughts - A movie that tries to tackle many important subject topics, but falls short on a few. It's a good attempt, that almost hits the mark, but not quite. Mani Ratnam attempts to explore a very controversial subject, while it could have been done better - this hopefully inspires movie creators to be more daring in their approach of tackling important subject issues - Feminism, Domestic Abuse and etc. Which Indian Cinema, ever so often, glorifies.

While the movie does not cement itself as a classic or or bears the mark of a veteran filmmaker, it's definitely worth a watch.

Did not expected this from Mani Ratnam Sir (After watching this movie you will feel like this may have directed by some short film worst director) . Few of the worst Movies i have seen in my life r Joker,Shaandar- Hindi..,Katamraaidu,Sardar gabbar singh- Telugu..,Verna, kaatru veliyidai- Tamil. While watching 'KAATRU VELIYIDAI" you will get bored from the Start of the movie itself....worst acting by both Hero & Heroine; worst Direction; worst editing;worst songs (In Telugu)...Overall a Successful Worst Movie of the year.

Mani Ratnam Sir is an Indeed a Masterpiece Film Maker but from last 3-4 years his Movies are Not doing Good...because of Slow Melodrama direction & Bad Scripts.

In this Generation people wont like slow Drama Movies...so filmmakers have to keep it in mind while making a movie b'coz such SlowmMovies become flop & Suffer Bad at Box Office.

Very Boring movie from the very beginning.'THIS'was directed by the great mani ratnam is hard to believe.This movie is fit only for a college culturals (maybe not even that)'Sadistic' story-line.... People come to cinemas for entertainment to get relaxed.In that sense a self goal & a waste of Time & money. Mani ratnam thinks Tamilians will accept ANY STORY without logic! No logic given for Heroine's actions.I find it hard to believe when a potential groom meets his girlfriend's' parents they give him SILENT TREATMENT like that. Again no logic.Isn't it naturally the other way around??Very unnatural in Tamil culture. Climax was a relief.Overall a TRAGIC MISFIRE.