Art mimics life and vice-versa. Real-life love stories have inspired many reel versions and many reel versions of romance have been defining our idea of romance for years now. Moreover, it’s probably the most common theme in tinsel town. Romance, which makes its way to the silver screen in myriad expressions, forever finds favour with cine-goers for its sheer universality. On the occasion of Valentine’s Day today, MetroPlus speaks to film celebrities to zoom in on celluloid romance that has stayed close to their hearts
Jis Joy
Filmmaker
Romance is a staple in Jis Joy’s movies. The director, whose rom-com Vijay Superum Pournamiyum continues to warm hearts, says he is in favour of portraying “shades of romance that evolve by itself” than day-dreamy, love-at-first-sight encounters. It then comes as no surprise when the filmmaker says his favourite romance on screen turns out to be in the Sathyan Anthikkad-directed Manassinakkare . “That scene when Reji (Jayaram), who’s left alone after the demise of his father (Innocent), asks his neighbour Gauri (Nayanthara) whose parents fix her marriage whether she too is leaving him has stayed with me. There’s no heroic pronouncement of love here, only a poignant hint of it. To me, that’s a different level of portraying mature romance on screen,” says Jis over phone.
Jis Joy
Another favourite of his is the tension-filled climax sequence in the Padmarajan classic Innale . “That’s Pappettan at his best. When Sharath (Jayaram) realises that an amnesia-struck Gauri (Shobhana) does not recognise Narendran (Suresh Gopi), it comes as a life-changing relief to the former. He then goes to the kitchen and, by instinct, plants a kiss on her cheeks in reassurance. But what about Narendran who is also Gauri’s husband? It’s heart-breaking to think what would happen in his life. It’s deeply moving,” says Jis, adding that he tries to keep such gems as points of reference while making his own films.
Nimisha Sajayan
Actor
For the young actor, on-screen romance is not about the happily-ever-after endings. “I take home those characters who don’t have it easy in their romance. I don’t go by the feel-good factor,” she says. Obviously, scenes from her own film, Eeda, a story of star-crossed lovers, is one of her favourites.
Aishwarya, her character, is in love with Anand (Shane Nigam) and what stands in the way is the political ideologies of their families. “No words are spoken, but their eyes convey how much they love each other,” she says. A scene close to her heart is when Aishwarya tells Anand that even though they are not together, she can at least be sure that he would remain alive.
Nimisha Sajayan
Another favourite is Annayum Rasoolum . “Their ‘eye locks’ say it all,” she says. Fahadh Faasil and Andrea Jeremiah play the lead in the film. Their subtle glances reflect their love, fear, reluctance and hope, taking romance to a very deep level. Meanwhile, there are certain movies where she enjoys every scene. For instance, Anurag Kashyap’s love triangle film Manmarziyaan , starring Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal. “Caught between the two men, the heroine goes through an emotional turmoil and I can’t choose just one scene from it. The same goes for the trilogy — Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight ,” she says.
Aishwarya Lekshmi
Actor
The svelte actor is the current toast of Mollywood for her looks and talent. On a roll since her first appearance in tinsel town in Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela , Aishwarya has come up with memorable acts in Mayaanadhi , Varathan and Vijay Superum Pournamiyum , a rom-com.
Aishwariya Lekshmi
Calling herself an incurable romantic and a die-hard fan of rom-coms, she says there are many scenes that are close to her heart. “Off the top of my head, one of my favourite scenes is of Mohanlal and Shobana in Thenmavin Kombathu . That scene, just before they part ways, when Manikyan asks Karthumbi if she would come with him. It was so unexpected and nicely filmed. I was so happy that they were together.”
A scene from Tamil film ‘96’ starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha
Next on her list is the last scene in La La Land , when the whole sequence pivots on ‘What could have been’. “Then there is Ennu Ninte Moideen , when I started crying right from the beginning because we know that in real life, there were far more dramatic things in their lives than what was portrayed on screen, and also when I watched 96, because I did not have someone like Ram [Vijay Sethupathi’s character] in my life as I had studied in a girls’ school.”
Basil Joseph
Actor and filmmaker
Gautham Menon’s Suriya-starrer Vaaranam Aayiram has heavy doses of romance, and Basil Joseph is an ardent fan of the movie. “I enjoyed the scene where Suriya falls head over heels in love with Sameera Reddy’s character in their first meeting itself and bursts into the song ‘Nenjukkul’. I was at an impressionable age and the scene worked for me, although I knew that such moments would not happen in real life,” he says.
Basil Joseph
Another scene that he cherishes is from Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthey , where Karthik (Madhavan) travels to meet Shakthi (Shalini) at a medical camp. “When I watched it, I felt I should go and find someone for me!” he laughs. How Manikyan (Mohanlal) and Karthumbi (Sobhana) declare their love for each other in Priyadarsan’s Thenmavin Kombathu is on his list because of the way their “relationship graph progresses. There is humour and innocence in their tiffs until they confess their feelings for each other.”
‘Thenmavin Kombathu’
The failed romance of the characters played by Rajinikanth and Sobhana in Mani Ratnam’s Thalapathy also struck a chord with Basil. “They meet after she gets married to Arvind Swamy’s character, Arjun. The intensity of the situation is accentuated by the instrumental version of Ilaiyaraaja’s track ‘Sundari kannal oru seithi’,” he says. The “ultimate” for him is Mohanlal-Sobhana romance in Pavithram . “There is something magical about the track ‘Sreeragamo’,” he adds.
Goutham Soorya
Filmmaker
The 26-year-old co-director of Sleeplessly Yours is quick to say that his first choice would be Before Midnight , the last part of the ‘Before’ trilogy. “I like the scenario of how they deal with a mature relationship and the conflicts that arise from it. The way they have dealt with the subject is interesting,” he says.
‘Thoovanathumbikal’
In Malayalam, he goes for Padmarajan’s Thoovanathumbikal and a shot that shows Jayakrishnan and Clara seating on a rock and having an animated conversation. Mohanlal and Sumalatha had essayed those roles. “Jayakrishnan’s ties with Radha and Clara were interestingly delineated; the conflicts, the tension and the strange empathy they share were evocatively translated on screen,” says Goutham.
Goutham Soorya
