Love with its vast expanse,is a term like the larger universe. Hatred spreads like wildfire. Whereas, love travels deep into one's heart, like rains pouring deeply into the profound interiors of the earth.One can love both animate and inanimate aspects of life,subject to one's five senses.But the sixth sense in humans, penetrates into the core of the invisible and the unknown zones of 'the who,the what,the why,and the where' of love. Love among humans,is generally seen within the emotional corridors of romance,parental and filial bonding and fences of friendship.
But love is generally viewed as a specific tie up between a man and a woman,with its unspeakable and unique,psychosomatic boundaries.Beyond all this,there is something called Platonic love,whose sacred and sublime rhythms get tuned between a man and a woman,absolutely unmindful of the body and its physical quest.Many might think that such a relationship between a man and a woman is far from being true.However,fiction and films have fruitfully focused on the possibility of man woman relationship,without the intrusion of romance and sex.How could fiction and films narrate tales of Platonic love, in the absence of minds welded to serene love of the soul,shunning the intrusion of sex?.
Films from the times of'Devadas',have dealt with even romantic experience,without the predominance of the physical thrust on man-woman relationship.Sridhar's films like Nenjil Oer Aalayam,Sumaidhangi and Nenjirukkum varai,K.Balachander's Thamarai Nenjam, Vikraman's Poove Unakkaaga and Unnai Ninaithu,Thangar Bhachan's Azhagi,Devaraj Mohn's Annakkili,Sivaji Ganesan's Deepam and a few other films would belong to a film maker's perspective of depicting romance,as an ennobling human experience.
Everybody born in the Nineteen forties and fifties, would be familiar with the fact that Tamil cinema during its early decades, focused more on family dramas and the dignity of the human mind groomed in flexibility,selflessness and sacrifice.Human greed was less,and the spirit of endearing coexistence was looked upon as the foremost priority of life,both at home and outside one's home.Even in matters of love,the element of sacrifice prevailed as lovers sacrificing their love for their siblings as witnessed in Kalyana Parisu and Manapandal or lovers sacrificing their love for their friends as seen in films like Alayamani and Thamarai Nenjam. Interestingly, in all the four films B.Sarojadevi was cast as the female star,and it was she, who carried the onus of sacrifice on her shoulders.But the burden of sacrifice was also on the part of S.S.Rajendran who sacrificed his love for his elder brother in Manapandal and for his friend in Alayamani.
Forgetting these nostalgic reveries,when a Tamil film buffs think of Platonic love,at least three films would stand before them as true testimonies of monumental Platonic love. Of these three films,two were directed by veteran film maker K.Balachander and the third film was made by K.Bharathi Raja.The three films are Kaaviya Thallaivi,{1970} Velli Vizha{1972} and Mudhal Mariyaadhai {1985}
Kaaviya Thalaivi and Velli Vizha were not only made by the same director but they also had Gemini Ganesan playing the role of the Protagonist. But the female stars were Sowcar Janaki in the former and Vanishree in the latter. When it comes to Platonic love,its absolute dynamics is about the concentration on the emotional wellbeing of man and woman, and the consummate contribution of comforting efforts, with least expectation from each other. Balachander being a remarkably creative film maker, passionately involved himself in the entire process of delivering a flawless presentation of Platonic love.
Kaviya Thalaivi gloriously extolled the element of Platonic love that existed between Gemini Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki,who was forced by circumstances to marry a drunkard-cum gambler{exuberantly played by M.R.R.Vasu}despite her ardent love for Gemini Ganesan.Unable to endure the torture of her husband, who went to the extent of killing their daughter,she left the child under the upbringing of Gemini Ganesan.Finally, when her daughter was groomed well with excellent education,and was to be married to a decent guy{played by Ravichandran} the notorious husband reappeared, threatening to disrupt the marriage.Unable to endure this final shot of brutality, she would kill her husband. Sowcar Janaki played dual role as mother and daughter.The immaculate relationship between Gemini Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki was most elegantly presented by K.Balachander and Kaviya Thalaivi stood as a clean film of platonic love
In Vellivizha Vanishree took up the Saviour role. Vanishree who stepped into Gemini Ganesan's life as his intimate Christian friend, later took care of his children as their surrogate mother, after the death of Gemini's wife{Jeyanthi}.Whenever she uttered the name of Jesus there was an extraordinary vibration in her utterance of the Lord's name.
Later developments making the children cast aspersions on her would lead to Gemini Ganesan leaving his entire property to his children for the sake of marrying Vanishree as his old age companion.Vanishree's performance as a sprightly woman of positive vibes and her dedication to the emotional well being of widowed Gemini Ganesan,were the salient features of Platonic love demonstrated by K.B.towards making the film an exalting cinematic experience.
K.Bharathiraja who made the audience feel the pulse of Platonic love in his very first film Padhinaaru Vayadhinile,through his delineation of his character Sappaani, revisited the theme more vigorously in Muthal Mariyaadhai.The fact that he was joining hands with the Himalayan hero Sivaji Ganesan for the first time,drew enormous expectations from the film fans of both the film maker and the Chevalier.Muthal Mariyadhai carried almost a universal appeal and inspired the viewers of the film,through a rare and subdued role play by Sivaji Ganesan, who was a colossal carver of human emotions through highly dramatic emotional outbursts. His underplay of character,combined with the most fascinating character portrayal of Radha,as the purest form of dew drops,let the audience take a dip in the holy waters of Platonic love.
Bharathi Raja stood on a high pedestal in presenting the contrastive portrayals of two women, one the unwed mother-cum wife of the hero, and the other a fisher woman,who passed through the mind of the hero,as the most sacred, rural breeze.This contrast of the two women includes the manner in which they serve food.--the wife with her hands and mouth full of filth,and the fisher woman with clean hands/driven by a very clean mind.
Muthal Mariyaadhai is an exemplary depiction of platonic love with its soul and spirit supremely intact.The climax of the film showing Sivaji in death bed,and Radha stepping down from a canoe from jail,for having killed a rogue(ruggedly played by Satyaraj) who had spoiled the life of Sivaji's wife and was roaming around to disclose his premarital illicit affair with Sivaj's wife, so as to tarnish the image of the most dignified character of the hero.was the crowning moment displaying Platonic love,with the brilliant Bharathiraja letting Sivaj's body jerk for a while.Tamil cinema can lift its collars and proudly celebrate its victory,over this exceedingly neat narration of Platonic love. K.Bharathiraja the directorial wizard of depicting rural romance,passed on the radiance of Platonic love to one and all,as a lasting vision,through his cinematic highlights.
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