What a Man Wants -3
The second time they meet, Clara says she was thinking about how to react if Jayachandran brings up the question of marriage. She says that in 'passive voice'. i.e. 'had the question been raised' (not: had Jayachandran raised the qn).
He counters it with: what if the question had been raised (i.e. what would have been your speculation).
And her response is : the question has not been raised. Has it?
I found that fantastic. There is just no simulating life. No predicting, expecting how people would react, deciding accordingly. Things just happen like rain and you have to bloody go with it. It's not like you have a choice.
You can think as much as you like about how you would react to situations when they crop up. But will you indeed react that way? Can you be sure about that?
If values, beliefs are all supposed to be based on 'how one reacts to situations', then how can one think 'I am like this only' in such a fundamentally uncertain world.
So, later when she says let us not part saying 'we will never meet again', it just strikes as perfectly in line with her wide view of the world.
The choice of expression: 'the question has not been raised, has it?' as opposed to 'you have not raised the question now, have you?' is just brilliant.
Why didn't he ask the question? Because she has 'changed' since we last met him? That's a what a girl like Clara, is well within her rights to think of a man. But then we know that kind of thing won't stop him and we also know Clara isn't someone who would think of Jayachandran to be such a person (what masterly writing for audience to be sure they 'know' a character they've only seen in a handful of scenes). So she is not being hurtful, at the max. only playful with him.
Then Clara goes on to say how it is only the lucky girls who give and receive first love. She is not being self-deprecatory or being falsely soft towards Radha. Her observations are all sincerity. And a quasi-maternal concern for a 'simple girl' Radha is unmissable.
You have to sit back and see how incredible the reactions of Radha to Jayachandran's revelations are. But it is not. And yet it is shown to be highly- pardon the word- believable and heartwarming.
monE, thadi condractorE nee yaaraa(m)?
It is unapologetic in its: 'I am a man of many parts and would appreciate someone who can understand that'. Such a film may be dated, or even ill-received today by the hypersensitive audience of today. It is an exercise in discipline to not feel pity for them.
Part 1, Part 2
P.S: apologies to the vast band of loyal followers of this blog for the slight delay in the publication of this final piece. Dredged this up from the drafts. Took inspiration from Valery: no poem is ever finished, only abandoned.
He counters it with: what if the question had been raised (i.e. what would have been your speculation).
And her response is : the question has not been raised. Has it?
You can think as much as you like about how you would react to situations when they crop up. But will you indeed react that way? Can you be sure about that?
If values, beliefs are all supposed to be based on 'how one reacts to situations', then how can one think 'I am like this only' in such a fundamentally uncertain world.
So, later when she says let us not part saying 'we will never meet again', it just strikes as perfectly in line with her wide view of the world.
The choice of expression: 'the question has not been raised, has it?' as opposed to 'you have not raised the question now, have you?' is just brilliant.
Why didn't he ask the question? Because she has 'changed' since we last met him? That's a what a girl like Clara, is well within her rights to think of a man. But then we know that kind of thing won't stop him and we also know Clara isn't someone who would think of Jayachandran to be such a person (what masterly writing for audience to be sure they 'know' a character they've only seen in a handful of scenes). So she is not being hurtful, at the max. only playful with him.
Then Clara goes on to say how it is only the lucky girls who give and receive first love. She is not being self-deprecatory or being falsely soft towards Radha. Her observations are all sincerity. And a quasi-maternal concern for a 'simple girl' Radha is unmissable.
You have to sit back and see how incredible the reactions of Radha to Jayachandran's revelations are. But it is not. And yet it is shown to be highly- pardon the word- believable and heartwarming.
monE, thadi condractorE nee yaaraa(m)?
It is unapologetic in its: 'I am a man of many parts and would appreciate someone who can understand that'. Such a film may be dated, or even ill-received today by the hypersensitive audience of today. It is an exercise in discipline to not feel pity for them.
Part 1, Part 2
P.S: apologies to the vast band of loyal followers of this blog for the slight delay in the publication of this final piece. Dredged this up from the drafts. Took inspiration from Valery: no poem is ever finished, only abandoned.
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