by Anupama Krishnakumar
“This was one pleasant surprise,” remarked Sumana, as she and Vinay made their way out of the theatre exit after watching Mani Ratnam’s “OK Kanmani”.
“Dulquer Salman as Adi was oh-so-good! What a handsome video-game developer!” sighed Sumana.
“Ah, Nitya Menen was lovely too. Tara…charming name. An architect. Fancy!” Vinay said.
“So why was the movie a surprise, Miss. Mani Ratnam Fan?” questioned Vinay, pushing his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket.
“Well,” began Sumana, “for one, it’s a Tamil film on a taboo-topic, ‘Live-in relationships’, a movie on two young people who don’t believe in the institution of marriage. That in itself is quite a deviation when it comes to the genre of romance, at least in Tamil. And here’s a film that treats its premise with such subtlety and honesty!”
“But more importantly, Tara,” she continued, “Tara was a refreshing change. Different from the stereotyped, annoying, screeching, over-exaggeratedly feminine women characters that Indian films are replete with. I am not saying she is the only one but then she definitely is one of the better-etched women characters in recent times.”
Vinay nodded, lost in thought. “Hmm…” he muttered, “I must say her costumes were damn good – elegant, intelligent.”
Sumana fell silent for a moment as they stepped on the elevator on their way down. As they descended, she couldn’t help dwelling on how, for Vinay, the first thought to cross his mind about a woman who wasn’t stereotyped was her looks – the way she was dressed.
“True,” she said, picking up the conversation from where it had paused, “I loved everything about her appearance. Her earrings and accessories, especially,” she smiled. “But what I really liked was the fact that she was not your typical size zero heroine! It’s such a respite from our ‘toned-body’ obsessed film industry today!”
“Well, Tara is also a woman who thinks clearly, speaks her mind and follows her heart,” Vinay added, as they moved away from the escalator. “That’s intelligent characterisation.”
Sumana broke into a gentle smile. She nodded. “Yes, indeed. And she’s bold. She takes the lead.”
When she said “lead”, she stressed on it unconsciously and held Vinay’s gaze.
Vinay loved the warmth of that gaze that lasted a couple of seconds longer.
“Uh, oh…” Sumana broke the strange silence, “coffee, my friend?” she asked in a chirpy tone.
Vinay casually put his hand around Sumana’s shoulder and said, “Of course…why would I say no?”
In response, Sumana held Vinay’s hand firmly and dragged him towards her favourite coffee shop inside the mall.
As soon as they had settled down on cosy brown couches and ordered two café lattes, Vinay began talking.
“So, was that the taking-the-lead you were talking about?”
“What…?” Sumana asked, wearing a confused expression on her face.
“That…” said Vinay, putting his left hand over his right and pretending to be dragged, “That…” he repeated.
Sumana knit her eyebrows and retorted, “Haha. Very funny.” And flashed a pretentious grin.
“Ok, but seriously, what did you mean?” he asked.
“I meant…” Sumana began in a steady tone, “that Tara initiated things in many ways- things that cement their relationship. It’s not just Adi!”
“As in?”
“For instance, remember that scene when they go out for coffee and ice-cream? And then they get on the famed Mumbai local train? It’s lovely, the conversation they have – the way she prompts him to speak his heart out just by repeatedly asking ‘Appram…’ till the point they reach her hostel. Did you notice the shift in her tone from being playful to sensual through the entire conversation? The way Tara’s questioning builds sensuousness into the scene? It’s mind-blowing! The icing on the cake is the woman feeling completely free to take the lead and pull her boyfriend into the room; a woman listening to her heart’s desire for making love and mind you, before the hullabaloo called marriage!”
Sumana paused a bit and continued with a dazed expression on her face.
“And…she flirts beautifully. So does he. But it’s a nice thing to see a woman flirting with ease. Almost like it’s an art. She revels in the joy it brings,” Sumana said smiling to herself. “Ah, she is a woman of today’s world.”
“Ha,” she suddenly said loudly and checked herself by pretending to focus on the latte. “It was also good to see a little bit of role reversal,” she continued, winking at Vinay. “I really enjoyed the way she teases him playfully.”
Vinay grunted. “Come on, don’t tell me. I feel for Adi! The way she scares the shit out of him! The way she tells him with an all-serious expression – shall I ask my mother to come over? To talk about our marriage? I can imagine what a guy who doesn’t want to commit to marriage would feel in an instant like that! And the visit to the gynaecologist’s clinic! A man’s nightmare! After giving him a nerve-wrecking time, she reveals that the ‘reports’ she is carrying are actually plans to renovate the clinic and not scan reports! Too much!”
“Really?” asked Sumana, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Why should boys have all the fun…all the time?”
Vinay shook his head and sighed. He didn’t exactly know how to counter that.
“Vinay,” said Sumana, “Being a woman like Tara is more an exception than a norm even in today’s world. It’s still not easy for many women, no matter how educated they are, to talk openly about ‘not wanting to get married because you have to follow your husband wherever he goes’ or pronounce ‘I want to have a good time by living in for as long as we feel comfortable or till other personal preferences demand us to move apart.’”
“Well, it isn’t easy for men either,” said Vinay with a smile playing on his lips.
“Perhaps. But not as difficult it is for women. We have this whole ‘sanskari naari’ baggage on our backs! The conversation between Tara and Adi’s Sister-in-law when she discovers their live-in arrangement comes to my mind. Did you notice that she questions only Tara on what’s happening with her and Adi? Tara is justified in asking back – ‘you could have asked this question to Adi too.’ Why is it that the woman is always held accountable in such things or for that matter, anything from the decision to have a child to raising a child to a street harassment to rape?”
“Point taken,” said Vinay, gently swirling the tall mug between his palms. “But Tara takes it in her stride. She doesn’t let it affect her. And that’s good, isn’t it?”
Sumana smiled. “I see you are seeing what I am seeing, Vinay. But it isn’t just enough for the woman to take things in her stride. Perceptions have to change too.”
“But Sumana,” he said, “didn’t everything look a little too easy in the film? There was no stiff resistance per se except for some agitated questioning by the families, the Sister-in-law’s retort included, and Ganapati Uncle, the man who lets Adi in as a paying guest and eventually does agree to let Tara stay with Adi in the same room! Do you think it’s possible for someone like you and me? Isn’t reality even tougher?”
“True in a way,” replied Sumana. “It’s a pity that reality is not so easy. We love to complicate things! Yet, aren’t films about dreams too? A projection of the kind of people we wish to see! We can’t rule out the possibility of existence of such people. There may be only a handful of them. But they are there. Tara again, is not fiction. There are some women like her today but not many. The hope is that the society lets many more like her bloom. Not just in the context of live-in relationships or marriage, but generally – women who can live by their choices without being judged. My only grudge against Tara’s characterisation is the sudden emotional fragility and change of attitude towards marriage. I wonder why she had to give in when they were moving away.”
Vinay placed his mug down pensively.
“Maybe we will soon have a film in which a woman will say that she doesn’t want her relationship with a man to be justified through a marriage. Maybe she will just let it be,” he spoke.
“Well, maybe,” Sumana responded, “a film that shows a woman who is strong enough not to succumb to social pressure, for anything.”
She looked into Vinay’s eyes.
The words literally rushed to Vinay’s mouth. “What about us, Sumana?” He wanted to ask her. But then, something told him, he should just let this moment be. No, not now. Not this day. For now, Tara, Adi and Latte would do. The rest….as they say, could wait.
