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40 Years of Moondram Pirai: A nostalgic lookback at Kamal Haasan, Sridevi's romantic tragedy directed by Balu Mahendra

Name: 40 Years of Moondram Pirai: A nostalgic lookback at Kamal Haasan, Sridevi's romantic tragedy directed by Balu Mahendra
Uploaded: 2022-02-22T14:56:40+05:30
Duration: T4M08S
Channel: Youtube
Description: The film starring Kamal Haasan, YG Mahendran, Sridevi and others in lead roles was later remade in Hindi as Sadma too

The film starring Kamal Haasan, YG Mahendran, Sridevi and others in lead roles was later remade in Hindi as Sadma too

Srivathsan Nadadhur

Feb 22, 2022

Moondram Pirai

Many films may come and go, but only a few enjoy the luxury remaining eternally in the hearts of audiences. This is certainly applicable to Moondram Pirai, the 1982 release, directed and cinematographed by Balu Mahendra that brought the sparkling Kamal Haasan and Sridevi together. The film, marking the production debut of Sathya Jothi films founded by TG Thyagarajan, may have been a romantic tragedy at the end of the day though the sheer innocence and charm with which it was made continues to win many viewers even today.

Everything about the film is a source of instant nostalgia, from Sridevi transforming into a child-at-heart after a serious accident to Kamal singing a lullaby to put her to sleep and later, trying every trick in the book to make her remind of the times they spent. Balu Mahendra's cinematography captures the ambience of Ooty in all its simplicity without being too indulgent and Ilaiyaraaja's music does everything to enhance the aura around the storytelling.

For those unaware of Moondram Pirai, it's a story of a young man (Cheenu) coming across a vulnerable woman (Viji) at a brothel, who has lost track of her recent past owing to a terrible injury in an accident. The two forge an unlikely bond, going beyond labels like friendship, love and romance, and live life like there's no tomorrow. Just when it looks like nothing can stop them from living in their dreamy paradise, reality hits them brutally. Like the title (the crescent seen on the third day following new moon day) says, theirs was a short-lived yet beautiful relationship.

Playing a character with retrograde amnesia is no joke and it requires the right amount of skill, sensitivity and wit to get the pulse of the part right. At a time when exaggeration was the order of the day, Sridevi displays admirable composure in empathising with Viji and never goes overboard. The way Sridevi childishly calls the pet in her neighbourhood 'Subramani' is the first (and the best) memory of the character, perhaps elevated by the innocence in her performance. Accompanying her is Kamal Haasan is in pristine form, who, with all his mastery, knows when to underplay and when to when to use a scene as his personal showcase.

The film's sore spot is of course its portions with Silk Smitha that hampers the remarkable flow in the storytelling considerably, in the name of commercial liberty. All said and done, though a song like Ponmeni Uruguthey may have brought crowds to theatres four decades ago, it doesn't at all age well in 2022. Yet, Ilaiayaraaja's music is as integral to the film as the performances and Balu Mahendra's craftmanship. Beyond the redoubtable Kanne Kalaimaane, the mood in Yesudas' rendition of Poongaatru Puthithaanathu is something to die for.

Moondram Pirai's producer, TG Thyagarajan, commemorating the 40 years of its release, really meant his words when he said that Ilaiyaraaja's music is the pillar of the film. "The film manages to entertain and also inform. The impact of the songs hasn't diminished even today. The film brought a lot of laurels to our banner (Sathya Jothi Films) and the songs continue to be heard and sung everywhere. I couldn't have asked for a better foundation for my banner than Moondram Pirai," he released a statement earlier in the day.

We conveniently say every second film that releases in theatres is ahead of its times but Moondram Pirai is a work of art that genuinely and richly deserves that tag. Be it in terms of performances, music, technical standards and storytelling, the film haunts us today as much as it did in 1982. Very few retro films are quite 'today' in their spirit, appeal and that's probably why Moondram Pirai continues to remain relevant. Cheenu, Viji and Subramani will always be an emotion for a movie buff.

The film can be watched on YouTube here: