Kaatru Veliyidai: Where is the magic, Mani Sir?

Kaatru Veliyidai is only a pale shade of the brilliance of director Mani Ratnam's art of filmmaking, writes Deepa Gauri

Contrary to his style, director Mani Ratnam is all-out promoting his latest home-production Kaatru Veliyidai. In one interview, he said: "Every film is a promise made to my earlier self. This is the least I can do with each film and hope I can improve on it the next time I make a film."
While his humility is noteworthy, it gives reason enough to rate Kaatru Veliyidai against his earlier works -notably Roja (1992) that marked his first collaboration with composer AR Rahman. Not only is the mise en scène similar, both films have a sweeping canvas (unlike the intimate setting of Mani sir's earlier film OK Kanmani).
Yet, 25 years after Roja, Mani Sir lets you down with a rude thud in Kaatru Veliyidai. The effortless confidence of Roja has given way to a director trying hard to be relevant and 'new gen' - with superficial, uninspiring social statements - on gender equality and motherhood out of wedlock.
With Kaatru Veliyidai, Mani Sir does not come as the magician of the big screen but as an emotional manipulator, who walks on one egg-shell of a script, saved only by his own brilliance that shines only occasionally to convince that you are indeed watching a Mani Ratnam film.
Set during the Kargil war, the redeeming factor of Kaatru Veliyidai, apart from its rich visuals by Ravi Varman, is the subtext of romance that Mani Sir puts forth: that you don't take your partner for granted. The ego-clashes between protagonists Officer VC (Karthi) and Dr. Leela (Aditi Rao Hydari) present an emotional arc that could prompt you to look at love from the mutual respect perspective, that is, if you are not doing so already.
But quite often in a narrative style as old as the hills (the meek flashback), Kaatru Veliyidai fails to 'connect.' The emotional intensity and honesty of Roja has given away to an almost vacuous apathy, where you see the master repeating himself, in the manner songs are shot to even situations such as the Red Cross camp (remember the doctor's camp in Alaipayuthey?) While there are some fantastic lines, after a point, you feel Mani Sir is not writing for the characters but for himself - the pretence hard to miss.  
Kaatru Veliyidai could then be the stalest love tale of Mani Sir, centred on ego-bruises, which he has presented umpteen times. So we have Officer VC, a fighter pilot, captured by the enemy, reminiscing his love-and-tumult relationship with Dr. Leela. The film flits back and forth between jail and love, until what you know will happen unfolds. In between, we have the AR Rahman songs, the picturisation - of course - majestic but magical? Hardly!
Kaatru Veliyidai's actors are clay in Mani Sir's hands; naturally, Karthi and Aditi shine; this is Aditi's career-best, no doubt, but for Karthi, I believe the role must have been a breeze.
 Disclaimer: I recall watching Roja - and earlier, all of Mani Sir's films - and being awed, charmed and floored by his craft. Today, if his films - post Alaipayuthey, Kannathil Muthamittal and Aaytha Ezhuthu -don't work for me, I blame it on my aging and not on Mani Sir. If today's young people find Kaatru Veliyidaiemotionally resonating and rich, I would be more than happy for a director I hate to see fail on screen.
Starring: Karthi, Aditi Rao Hydari
Directed by Mani Ratnam
Now playing at theatres in the UAE
Rating: 2.5/5