Mani – Ratnam and love go hand in hand. From Pagal Nilavu to Ok Kanmani he has consistently re-defined love in a million different ways. But there’s one film we all love to re-visit again and again – Mouna Ragam. 

The beauty and splendour of Mouna Ragam lies in how it deals with the conflicts that cage the human mind.  A marriage has to be a union of two souls, but more often than not when you enter into a forced marriage the uncertainty of having to share your space with a stranger in the dark leads to turmoil and chaos. Who is he?  How did I even end up like this?  Do I even deserve this?  Questions galore even as you yearn for a breathing space.

On the other side there is a partner who is eager and willing to wait it out. He’s prepared to wait it out but how long can he hold on. Will he able to hold long enough to welcome her into his life or will it be too late?

She adamantly holds on to the scars of her glorious past. Her past had a stranger too but he was different.  The stranger was one of life’s glorious uncertainties.  He showed her the splendour of love and pain of loss.  A loss which made her go back into a shell.  The free spirit is no longer visible.

Time flies and the tables turn.  He’s done waiting. Giving her the freedom that she desires and moving away seems like an easier option than having to spend the rest of his life with a soul that does not resonate. It’s time to take that final call. It’s time for a decision.

Time is a strange companion. Her world is different now as she discovers a soul yearning for love. The stranger who seemed like an invader has lit the flame of love yet again. He is no longer a stranger. He’s her man.  But he’s waiting with an ultimatum, an ultimatum which promises freedom. But she wants him. Nobody can free her spirit like he does.

The final moments with him, he’s walking away from what was meant to be. Dear destiny let him be mine. Why can’t he see through the illusion that blinds him? It’s a blunder.

Oh wait!  he‘s coming for me to hold my hands and promise me an eternal journey of love. Time does freeze at the right moments as the two souls merge into one even as Illayaraja’s magic takes over leading to a fitting finale.