Happy Valentines day!

Despite having to deal with up to neck workload, I’m stealing some minutes writing this post as what I’m about to write today is something special, something beautiful, something for which you don’t mind sparing some minutes for…Valentines Day ( nothing captures our attention as much as this celebration does. Seriously, I have never seen trees let alone roses along KL street before. But today, people were bargaining roses in KL street today and the malls are wearing celebration mood with red, roses and chocolates everywhere…and yeah the couples too). So back you go Mothers Day and Fathers Day, Valentines Day is here to stay! Not wanting my blog to miss out the midas touch of love, here I’m capturing top 10 romantic movies that I have fallen in love with, grow with and cry with.

10. Dhadkan (Heart beat)
What started as a movie to kill the time soon became one of my favourite movies till to date. Dhadkan has a very simple storyline…the usual recipe of romantic movies…triangular love story. But the execution of the story as well as the superlative performances of the stars was the asset of the movie. Shilpa and Sunil (I used to think they were siblings as they share the same surname),are chalk and cheese when it comes to their background and lifestyle and beliefs in life. But as usual love binds them together and as any Indian cinema goers know the trouble comes in the form of the girl’s dad who disapproves their relationship citing their difference and also because of the loud mouthed Sunil. Torn between the apple of her eye and her parents…as you guessed it, the girl marries another sweet guy (Akshay). After initial hiccups in their relationship, Shilpa learns to love her husband and again as you guessed it, the old boyfriend comes back richer, louder and evil. And the movie deals with the emotional turmoil that the three characters undergo due to their unconditional love for their partners. I have always believed Shilpa gave her best performance in this movie as a wife who loves her husband and an ex-girlfriend whose heart still flickers for her Ex.


9. Vivaah
Another hindi movie on the list. Vivaah has always been a movie that I was looking forward to even when it was still in the making. We have always been inundated with so many clichéd love stories where the two college goers fall in love, fight all the problems ( which usually comes in the form of Caste, wicked father, or a psycho lover) and get married in the end (though the hero is still a student and has no means of supporting a family). So movies with realistic plots have never failed to catch my attention and Vivaah is certainly such movie. With a more realistic plot, the movie captures the beautiful journey one embarks on the engagement day till the wedding. A must watch movie for those who are waiting to embark on the journey.

8. Sillunu Oru Kathal
This is another movie which had me in waiting for its stupendous cast which had the hot and happening couple of the Tamil celluloid Surya and Jothika with the gorgeous Bhoomika. Two women fighting for a guy is not new for Tamil cinema but a dutiful and lovable wife finding the long lost love of her husband and trying to reunite them is. All the three stars brought out their best and Jothika easily walks out with the trophy for her impeccable performance. The scene where she reads her husband’s diary and finds out of the other woman in his life is her stellar performance. The tumult on her face is so vivid that one can feel that she lived as Kundavi in the movie. Similarly, the collage chapter with Surya and Bhoomika and their love for each other and their tragedy are the strong points of the movie. What upholds the Ok-movie is the fantabulous music which elevates the movie to beyond Ok. Munbe..Va is still the best romantic song one dedicate to his/her lover.

7. Dum Dum Dum
A feel good romantic entertainer which failed to create box-office records but a decent movie I would say. The only reason I wanted to watch this movie was that it was from Madras Talkies Banner which is headed by the ace director Maniratnam. The movie is a village youthful love story with a great amount of comedy and some wonderful songs. Among Jothika’s early movie which showcased her immense talent as an actress. Up to now, whenever I happened to catch the movie on tv I wonder what went wrong with the movie and I’m still clueless. My favourite scene in the movie is the scene where Madhavan tries to woo her back by joining as the Junior Lawyer in her uncle’s house. All the pain he takes to reunite with the girl whom he once rejected is simply ideal. The mivie has some wonderful songs such as ‘ragasiyamai…’ and ‘un perai sonnale’ which are dear to ears.

6. Kaadhal
What came as a rather quite movie stirred the box office record and rewrite the history of low budget movies. Though it appears more like a puppy love, the movie deals well with the emotions of youngsters who are driven by passion and take major decisions in life without thinking of the consequences. The first movie for Sandya. Nobody could have asked for better debut than that. I remember watching it with my friend and cursing the Aish character for having ruined the life of a gullible guy like of Murugan’s. The characters are so close to reality that you feel attached to the events unfolding in the movie. The ending is a moving ending where the pain of love is expressed through Murugan going mad (that’s what called madly in love I guess). Though there are other movies which have tried travelling on the same road as Kaathal where the hero goes crazy upon the separation/ demise of the heroine (Ninaithu ninaithu paarthen), Kaathal is exceptional. The part where Aish sees Murugan, the first love of her life as a madman on the street and pouring out her misery and agony and asking forgiveness for having ruined his life, leaves a lump on your throat when you leave the cinema.

5. Just like Heaven
Can a man fall in love with a ghost?(I know youngistan agrees with that) Yes, says this movie. Though, eventually one finds out that Reese is not a ghost, throughout the movie she appears as a ghost. Unlike other English movies, this movie deals with fate and love beautifully as two different individuals are brought together by fate, separated by fate and reunite with the help of fate. The movie awakes your senses and makes you to believe that nature and fate plays paramount role in uniting different people in the name of love.

4. Mouna ragam
No one captures the magic of love as best as Maniratnam does. Mouna ragam is certainly a sweet raagam to which you can listen again and again without getting bored. As I have mentioned earlier, this movie deals with the relationship between a husband and his estranged wife who still has feelings for her dead boyfriend. Revathi’s fine performance along with Mohan and Karthik with superb songs. What else one could ask for? Let it be the vibrant and mischievous Revathy or the quiet wife trapped in an unwanted marriage, Revathy was at her best. A movie which showed love can gradually happen as people who lead different lives under the same roof eventually realise that they can’t live without each other. No duet between the two characters, no romance and love still blossoms.

3. Sethu
Movie which has changed so many things and has given life to so many artists associated with it. Just recently I had the chance to watch the movie, and I should admit there was not any exaggeration in hailing the movie as an eye opener. This movie showed the anger side of love and the pain inflicted on one in the name of love. As a famous saying says don’t love unconditionally as that ruins you. This movie exactly shows that. A normal man falls in love with a girl who couldn’t appreciate nor can understand his love. He chases her trying to woo her, tries getting her by threatening her, scares her off showing the violent side of him and twists of fate sprinkle some changes in the girl. Eventually when she too reciprocates the guy’s life turns upside down, courtesy of some rowdies. As a result, he loses his mind and become ill and later he loses the girl too. I’m in no position of discussing Vikram’s acting prowess, as the world knows that too well. The ending is similar to Kaathal which leaves you feeling choked and your heart yearns for the poor guy.

2. A Moment to Remember
This is the only Korean movie that I have watched so far and a superb movie which had me in tears and gave me sleepless nights. It’s simply a ‘talking’ movie which touches your heart as the caressing of the wind. I can’t remember the name of the characters neither the actors but the movie is still vivid in my memory. The movie starts with the heroine waiting at a train station waiting to elope with her boyfriend. Despite waiting for him hours, he never turns up giving her immense disappointment and embarrassment. She is badly ridiculed by the community and thus that leads to her trying to commit suicide. Eventually, she is saved and in thee course of revamping her life, she rebuilds her career as a designer. As she is sailing smoothly in her life, she meets a labour who works under her father in a construction site. She is the gentle side whereas he is the tough and rough guy. After several cute rows she falls in love with him and encourages him to further his studies (he is a very bright guy who had to drop out due to family crisis). After a whirlwind courtship, they get married and life could never be happier for them till she is diagnosed with Alzheimer. She is slowly forgetting the world, and according to the doctor she might go back to the infant stage where she needs help for everything. As a result, the image of the husband and their wonderful life slowly fades away from her memory. She even runs behind her Ex who dumped her once thinking she is still with him. At one stage knowing that she is hurting her husband she leaves her husband registering herself in an orphanage. The loving husband hunts her down, brings her back to him. The movie ends with the husband recreating their happy life everyday by pasting their pictures and notes, and wooing his wife everyday .Though this resembles 50 First Dates, this Korean movie very is extremely intense and moving.

1. ALAIPAYUTHEY
Any soul close to me would have predicted this one correctly. This is one movie which I have watched countless times that I know the dialogues by heart. As far as I know, this masterpiece by Maniratnam captures the reality of marriage between the youths of today and the consequences of eloping which the characters do lavishly in Tamil movies. And what makes it more sensible is that both the lead characters are professionals and wait for their parents approval for their relationship; move away from each other upon the disapproval of the family and reunites again when they realise that there can’t be a life for them without each other . The romance, squabble, and the major conflicts are portrayed beyond comparison in the movie. The beginning scene of the movie where Karthik frantically looking for Sakthi itself, is a start with a bang further enhanced by beautiful songs and breathtaking cinematography. Alaipayuthe gave the best wooing lines for guys where Karthik meets up Sakthi in the train station and says “ nee alaga irukkanu nenaikkle, un mela aasaipadale, aana atellam nadanthudumonnu bayama irukku. Yosichu sollu ( I don’t think you are pretty; I don’t fancy you; but I’m scared those might happen soon). The movie ends beautifully where Sakthi confesses her love for her husband for the first time in the movie as she has always questioned the definition of those words whenever uttered by him. The ending of the movie, simply says there can’t be a definition for love which portrays love as it is. It’s not to be said and defined but to be felt. Happy Valentines all!!