Autograph

I have been watching Tamil movies for the past few weeks in an attempt (almost failed) to learn Tamil. Most of the movies that I watched were useless. Useless in the sense that the plots were absolutely ridiculous.

I watched 50 minutes of the movie 'Anniyan' and felt my internal organs churning. When creating a 'fictional' movie, the people behind the scenes have to make sure that it should be comprehensible and that it should make sense. The movie is about a person who takes on different 'personalities' (shy/uptight guy, lover, killer). If the movie was trying to portray DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) in an extreme sense, they failed MISERABLY. The songs had nice beats. I was able to dance around without bringing down the house.

Anyway, my intention is to talk about the movie "Autograph" starring and directed by Cheran. It is an amazing movie. It touched me in the sense that I was able to relate to his character. He revisits the three women that had touched his life in the past. Innocent and genuine love were portrayed in the first two females respectively. The last women is inspiration.

When he was in high school, he falls in love with his classmate. He waits for her on the road. He rides bicycle along with her. He signs her progress report. Honestly, I have never seen genuine love portrayed so beautifully in a movie. There is no jealousy. There is no negative emotion involved in it. At the same time, they care for each other tremendously. It is almost nostalgic. When it was time for them to part, he secretly cuts off her hair garment so he can cherish it forever. I guess we can laugh it off as 'puppy' love or childish attraction or whatever. As you grow older, your relationship will be affected by more and more factors. It may be monetary issues, trust issues, parental issues, a third party issue, etc. When you are young, you are carefree. You want to impress the significant other. You are willing to wait one whole day on the road side for your lover. It's a beautiful feeling. There were no 'kissing' or love scenes in this particular part which maintained the 'innocence' of the couple. Absolutely beautiful. I wish I were able to experience something like that. So innocent; so pure. Something to look back to and cherish.

When he was in college, he moved to Kerala. There he meets a girl who is musically talented. He falls in love with her. He was beaten up by her family for having a relationship with her. As he leaves the place in a boat, he sees a boat with his lover as a newly wed. It crushes him. He goes through a phase of an addict until his friend shows up with a tape recorder of a message from her. Now, I did not understand her message. But it was truly heart breaking. What struck me was that the story line was truly unexpected. Unlike any 'love story' couple, this couple did not run away. I feel as though true sacrifice was shown here. They dreamed of being together, yet fate had other plans. They could have absconded; they could have died together. One may say that it's because they're cowards or inexperienced. Their sacrificial mentality is evident later on.

The third female character is the inspiration. A person who suffers from cancer who has to take care of her bedridden mother. She carries a positive mentality with her. She inspires the ones around her. She is always smiling. Even when her mother passed away; she was aiding her friend who needed her by her side.

Many a time, we meet these personalities. Not in these circumstances, per se. We fail to recognize or realize how much of an impact each person has had in our lives. Honestly, we take people for granted. It is not until they are gone that we realize how much they mean to us. Even if you did not have a positive experience with a person, you should know that it had been a learning experience. That person has changed you.

In the movie, the actor goes back and invites all three of these women to his wedding.

I see it more as coming in terms with his past. I feel as though he did not resolve himself with the first two women. So he goes back and invite them to the most important day of his life.

How many of us can do that? How many of us can genuinely walk back to our past and come in terms with those who have changed our lives? I know I can't. May be I can. It will take a lot of persuasion.

I bet that when he put that thaali thread around his bride, he had no regrets.

Forgive others. Moreover, forgive ourselves. If you feel that something is pending, come in terms with it.

Loved the movie. Love the characters. The actors and actresses did a marvelous job which made the movie most enjoyable.