"Raavanan" by Mani Ratnam

54 year-old Mani Ratnam holds a special place among Indian filmmakers. Coming from Southern India (Tamil Nadu), he first made his mark with ambitious productions in the Tamil language, which dealt with social issues using spectacular technique. Ratnam's Nayakan (1987) was named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Films of All Time," and with Ratnam's discovery of (now two-time Oscar winning) composer AR Rahman, he was also an innovator in the field of film music. Ratnam's Tamil successes finally enabled him to cross over to "Bollywood." Dil Se (1998), Ratnam's first Hindi film, was controversial in India but widely celebrated in the west – and is now regarded as a classic of modern Indian cinema.

 

Similar to Dil Se, Ratnam's latest project, Raavanan (2010), is fast-paced, filled with grandiose set pieces and, at the same time, acutely aware of India’s political reality. It is also an unusual re-reading of the Indian national epic, Ramayana: "Ravana," the ten-headed demon and antagonist of the epic here becomes the outlaw and social bandit Veera (Vikram Kennedy). The kidnapping of Ragini (Aishwarya Rai in the role of "Sita") is what triggers the plot, because Ragini is the wife of Veera’s nemesis, the brutal cop Dev (an equivalent to the heroic-divine "Rama" figure in the epic).

 

Ratnam was able to realize this endeavor in two versions, filmed at the same time: as a Hindi film called Raavan (in this case the actor Vikram Kennedy switches sides and plays the cop) and as the Tamil version, Raavanan. Indian critics and film websites have since vehemently debated the merits and specifics of both versions, usually giving preference to Raavanan. When he received the Glory to the Filmmaker! Award at the Venice Film Festival, Mani Ratnam chose Raavanan as the film to be shown after the ceremony.