The curious case of love and its absence in Tamil cinema

By admin on 10 November 2010 16:56

Love stories, one of the most popular genre in Tamil Cinema has taken a backseat of late, overpowered by their action counterparts. What triggered this trend? Will love ever make a comeback? Southscope digs deeper into the trend.

Romance has always been a big deal in Indian films right from the earliest days. Every filmmaker had his/her own way of telling a tale of love and the audience lapped it all up enthusiastically. It was a similar case with Tamil cinema too, until more recently when pure romances are hard to find.

From M K Thyagaraja Bhagavathar till Silambarasan, actors always had a passion in them to do romantic entertainers and those who sizzled on the screen were affectionately referred to with special titles. Gemini Ganesan was called Kadhal Mannan while Kamal Haasan was admired as Kadhal Ilavarasan. A closer look at today's Tamil cinema reveals that romance has slowly lost its place with so called mass films in which heroes mouth punch lines and flex muscles and the film focuses mainly on him. The romance element is relegated as a subplot at best. Says Murali, a trade analyst, "There are not many out-and-out romantic films these days. Commercialisation has taken a toll on it. Also the audience too wants a quick byte kind of films, where romance is just part of a masala script. In today's hero-driven industry, lead actors want films that centre around them. That has resulted in a dearth for love stories. Rarely can we see movies like Kadhal or Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, where the director holds the card."

Those filmmakers who opt for mass masala themes say, romance does not offer many opportunities for variation. Boy and girl meet each other, fall in love, the romance faces some roadblocks, they surmount it or commit suicide. So any movie that offers something new within those boundaries only catches the attention of the masses." Interestingly, Kamal Haasan, who has been the poster boy of Tamil love stories since the 80s and rendered many a romantic entertainer including Vazhvae Maayam and Punnagai Mannan among several others, is back with a romantic venture, Manmadha Ambu. Says K S Ravikumar, who is directing the film, "Tamil cinema has known Kamal Haasan as a romantic hero. Unfortunately, after doing such films for some time, he forayed into other genres. However, in Manmadha Ambu, he will be back to do what he did in the 1980s. He will be fitter, younger and smarter and of course as romantic as he was then." Gautham Vasudev Menon is one rare exception to the trend. Though it may look outwardly that his movies are action-based (Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya not included), yet there is romance packed deep in every movie of him. He does take regular detours to explore the more sensitive emotions in life. However action packed or riveting his cop thrillers might have been, they have always had a very beautiful, poetic and endearing love story at the fulcrum. Gautham had never denied this. According to him, "movies should reflect all sentiments. One should not use any emotion as an additive. They should form part of the script. Love is universal and now my Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya will speak in Hindi too," he adds.

Mani Ratnam etched out romantic classics like Alaipayuthae, Roja and Bombay (romance against a turbulent background) and so did filmmaker Selvaraghavan (Thulluvadho Ilamai, Kadhal Konden, 7G Rainbow Colony). While the former has started exploring reality themes of late, the latter is going in for fantasy themes that are bigger and grander. Says Raveendran, an avid film-buff, "gone are those days when we saw pure, unadulterated love on screen. Now it has been taken over by action. The likes of K Balachander, Bharathiraja and T Rajendar, who made many romantic classics, are not regularly making movies these days. So are many others."

In such a scenario, all hopes seem to be not lost in Tamil cinema where pure romance is concerned save for attempts like Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. How long before filmmakers fall in love again? We wonder...

Popular romantic flicks:

Devadas, Thillana Mohanambal, Vasantha Maaligai, Then Nilavu, Vaazhve Maayam, Punnagai Mannan, Pudhukavidhai, Thambikku Endha Ooru, Mouna Ragam, Varusham 16, Kadhal Kottai, Kadhalukku Mariyadhai, Alaipayudhey, Kaadhal Konden, 7 G Rainbow Colony, Kadhal, Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya.

Best onscreen pairs: