It’s been a long time since I saw Geethanjali so I decided to revisit this classic. It’s one of the most iconic films in both Nagarjuna & Mani Ratnam’s careers respectively and it’s one that will stand the test of time. The idea of death in love & vice versa is something that Mani Ratnam plays with so brilliantly in this. It’s hilarious, romantic, and tragic all at the same time. For when this film was made, it surprises me how deep he decided to take this story while still making it as charming & light hearted in its tone.
Some thoughts: The first time Prakash sees Geethanjali is at the cemetery. This is such an interesting and unconventional way to showcase the first meeting of two people we want to see end up together. We know death is following Prakash but we are yet to know about Geethanjali’s and it’s just such a fascinating meet “cute”.
Geethanjali as a character could seem eccentric and overly enthusiastic but it’s not without reason. That interval point when we realize she’s suffering from a heart disease we have this level of epiphany as to why she basically is so happy and “allari” all the time. She genuinely just wants to live in the present and that’s it. She doesn’t know how long she’ll survive but however long it is she’s going to live through it right now.
In another scene Geethanjali explains to Prakash about how everyone will die in this world from her little sister to the plants next to her and the point in life is to live in the NOW. Prakash understands that and finally opens himself up from his pain and starts to freely live his life while all of this leads up to Geethanjali falling love and finding love in a world where she believed death is the final outcome. This is just a beautiful way to emotionally encapsulate the power of love. That entire final 45 minutes is just a pure emotional roller coaster and even after knowing what will happen at the end, it still manages to make me cry. It’s the simple yet complex nature of love and death that just works so brilliantly in this film.
All of this is only ELEVATED to greater heights with Illairaja’s god level musical score and album. A true all-timer album & score in every way. Every song hits not just in terms of the musical execution but visually as well. You can’t even imagine songs to be shot and executed like this anymore. Each song is different in terms of how it sounds, looks, and ultimately makes us as the audience feel emotionally. PC Sreeram’s cinematography is sheer poetry through the lens. Every frame is like a painting.
Films are meant to stand the test of time and Geethanjali is a beautiful representation of that.
It’s been a long time since I saw Geethanjali so I decided to revisit this classic. It’s one of the most iconic films in both Nagarjuna & Mani Ratnam’s careers respectively and it’s one that will stand the test of time. The idea of death in love & vice versa is something that Mani Ratnam plays with so brilliantly in this. It’s hilarious, romantic, and tragic all at the same time. For when this film was made, it surprises me how deep he decided to take this story while still making it as charming & light hearted in its tone.
Some thoughts: The first time Prakash sees Geethanjali is at the cemetery. This is such an interesting and unconventional way to showcase the first meeting of two people we want to see end up together. We know death is following Prakash but we are yet to know about Geethanjali’s and it’s just such a fascinating meet “cute”.
Geethanjali as a character could seem eccentric and overly enthusiastic but it’s not without reason. That interval point when we realize she’s suffering from a heart disease we have this level of epiphany as to why she basically is so happy and “allari” all the time. She genuinely just wants to live in the present and that’s it. She doesn’t know how long she’ll survive but however long it is she’s going to live through it right now.
In another scene Geethanjali explains to Prakash about how everyone will die in this world from her little sister to the plants next to her and the point in life is to live in the NOW. Prakash understands that and finally opens himself up from his pain and starts to freely live his life while all of this leads up to Geethanjali falling love and finding love in a world where she believed death is the final outcome. This is just a beautiful way to emotionally encapsulate the power of love. That entire final 45 minutes is just a pure emotional roller coaster and even after knowing what will happen at the end, it still manages to make me cry. It’s the simple yet complex nature of love and death that just works so brilliantly in this film.
All of this is only ELEVATED to greater heights with Illairaja’s god level musical score and album. A true all-timer album & score in every way. Every song hits not just in terms of the musical execution but visually as well. You can’t even imagine songs to be shot and executed like this anymore. Each song is different in terms of how it sounds, looks, and ultimately makes us as the audience feel emotionally. PC Sreeram’s cinematography is sheer poetry through the lens. Every frame is like a painting.
Films are meant to stand the test of time and Geethanjali is a beautiful representation of that.
