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"Intha mugam, intha udal, en penmai ... ethayum naan thernthu edukala ... Sowmya nu per kooda thernthu edukala. Kanavan ah mattum yen thernthu edukanum?"
(I didn't choose my face, my body or my feminity. I didn't choose my name either. So why should I choose my future husband? - Sowmya)
"Yen mudhal padam direct pannathuku apparama thaan kalyanam"
(I'll only get married after successfully directing my first film - Manohar)
"Enaku minnal, mazhai, puyal ... ellam venum. Adhula irunthu oruthar devan pola porapattu varuvaaru"
(I want the lightning, rain and tornado mixed together. A divine man will emerge from all this to come and take me - Meenakshi)
"Maranatha vida mosamanathu ennathu nu theriyuma? Maraka padurathu"
(Do you know what's worse than death? To be forgotten - Captain Bala)
The dialogues above, said by the 4 different characters, describe their priorities and outlook towards life. Be it the simple Sowmya, the ambitious Manohar, the passionate Meenakshi, or even the bitter Captain Bala, I'm sure you would've been to identify yourself with one of them or even connect with all.
Yet somewhere along the line, all discover that there's more to life than what they believe it to be and nothing is ever as clear as it initially appears.
Mistakes are made, lessons are learned, and eventually one learns to evolve from it. We reach obstacles, we face it, and we manage to successfully drive past it.
The movie selected for Retro Reel this week is none other than the 2000 romantic drama
Kandukondain Kandukondain
Which means, "I have found it"
Inspired from Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility, Kandukondain Kandukondain revolves around the lives of two sisters, Sowmya (Tabu) and Meenakshi (Aishwarya Rai), their thoughts about love and life, their relationships with the men they love, and how their ideals change after a few twists and turns. While Sowmya and Manohar (Ajith Kumar) fall for each other, Meenakshi finally finds true love in the much older Captain Bala (Mamooty).
Sowmya is the older sister. Simple and quiet, she doesn't have many dreams and is usually happy with what she gets. However, after her fiance dies, she is labeled as being unlucky. Despite all that, she continues with her daily activies and looks after her family. She comes across Manohar, an aspiring film maker, and eventually they fall in love. Manohar's dream is to direct films and he's keen on getting married only after releasing his first film. Though everything seems sweet at first, their relationship takes a dark turn after a few misunderstandings. Sowmya's insecurities about her being "unlucky" are brought to the front and it affects her relationship with Manohar. She starts to avoid Manohar and any topic related to him. Though Manohar realizes what is happening, he is torn between his love for Sowmya and his dream. However, by the time his movie has released, he is more keen on proposing to Sowmya. As Manohar comes back to her, Sowmya learns that true love will look past all insecurities.
Meenakshi is the younger sibling, and is a total contrast to Sowmya. She is outgoing, fierce, and enjoys reading Bharathi's poems. Just like that, she also expects her ideal man to be like her and share similar interests. And this is when she comes across Srikanth, a businessman who seems to be everything Meenakshi has ever dreamt of. Sparks instantly fly and the two of them seem like the ideal couple. However, some revelations leads to a heartbreak for Meenakshi. Though she initially loses the will to live, she finds comfort in the form of a family friend, Captain Bala, who is secretly in love with Meenakshi but doesn't express it due to the age difference and because he's handicapped. Bala pulls Meenakshi out of her despair and encourages her to become a playback singer. Through this, Meenakshi learns love is all about caring and always supporting one another despite of the flaws. As her view about love matures, Meenakshi eventually understands Bala's unspoken love and reciprocates.
After watching this film, you can't help but realize how apt the title is. Each character, especially Sowmya and Meenakshi, discover something that changes their views and priorities. By the end of the movie all characters have matured and their thoughts have been slightly altered. The process through which they reach that stage is beautifully shown by the director, Rajiv Menon. A smooth screenplay, thought-provoking dialogues, mind-blowing music, and other technicalities, make Kandukondain Kandukondain a film not to be missed at all !
Songs: Kandukondain Kandukondain, Enna Solla Pogirai
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