Published by Aparna on 16 May 2007 at 05:44 pm
Alaipayuthey (Part 1)
Alaipayuthey
This is going to be very difficult to write. Though I have been writing about only some of my favourite scenes from the movies, how can I pick a few scenes from this movie as the ones that I like, when I love almost all the scenes in it!
Starting with an analysis of characters (if you could call it that), first there is Shakti, a girl from a middle-class family who fulfills her father’s dream by becoming a doctor, with the family making a lot of sacrifices to make her a doctor. But, didn’t she fail in her duty as a daughter and a doctor when she didn’t go and visit her father in the hospital when he was seriously ill? Being a doctor, how could she have not have gone and seen a patient, that too when the patient was her father and the chance of his life getting saved would have been higher had she gone and seen him? Had her husband’s words become more important to her than going and seeing her dying father? This very guilt strains her relationship with her husband, the very guy for whom she left all her loved ones in life and the one she is still so much in love with.
Karthik, the guy who loves his wife so much that when her father dies, he is not able to bear seeing her suffer since he does have a very good reason to feel that he was indirectly responsible for his death. But, would anyone want to go see someone who had slapped him right in front of a huge crowd? After all, would our ego let us do that? (What one did for getting slapped is forgotten and all that remains in memory is that person slapping.) But, had he gone and seen him with his wife or at least let his wife see him, wouldn’t there have been a chance of his father-in-law being alive today or wouldn’t he at least have died with a satisfaction that his daughter was living happily with her husband? Had he not acted in a rage, wouldn’t their lives be different now? Wouldn’t he at least have the courage to comfort his grieving wife now had he not been consumed by guilt?
This marks the turning point in their lives. The same woman who had been, just for fun, marking each day in the calendar as the day they ‘fought with each other’, so as to show how difficult married life is, is now at a stage where married life has indeed become difficult and not even a single day goes by without they both really fighting! Now, who is in a mood to mark the day in the calendar! The emotions that the couple undergoes are unfolded as the movie progresses.
So how did the emotions get unfolded? Wait for my next post to see the hidden feelings in the hearts of Karthik and Shakti being brought out into the open. ![]()
P.S.: The next few posts are going to be only on Alaipayuthey! This post was looking at the movie from a serious perspective. Though my next post might also be a serious one, the posts to follow it will focus on the happy scenes in the movie. ![]()
P.S.1: I have put so many photos since I didn’t have the heart to leave out even one.
Shall I continue to put so many pictures in the upcoming posts too or not? Do I have to still reduce the size of the pictures, maybe put it as thumbnails? Feedback most welcome!






Nithya on 16 May 2007 at 6:04 pm #
Yeah yeah keep inserting loads of pictures in your posts, especially those in which Maddy looks adorable

…Mangalyam, Endrendrum, Evano Oruvan, Pachchai Nirame and September Madham rock too
Can’t be biased as far as ARR’s numbers are concerned 
Alaipayuthey is a wonderful movie…Loved each and every bit of it..Can’t get enough of the movie and the music…Ah Snehidhane and Kadhal Sadugudu..Bliss
The on-screen chemistry between Karthik and Shakthi is so fiery…Only Mani can ignite ssuch feelings in ppl’s hearts….Looking forward to many more Alaipayuthey analyses
Sathej on 16 May 2007 at 6:39 pm #
Hello Aparna,
A very good psychological analysis of characters!You have really nice and deep insights.
Sathej
sivaramang on 16 May 2007 at 7:13 pm #
This is also nice! Seeing the from a serious perspective and very good analysis.
Once in a interview suhasinimaniratnam told that no audiance is very keen about the character names, backdrops, nature of the relationships etc..etc..(in Mani’s movies since he is taking much care on creating all those ) when she was talking about ROJA’s character names RISHI and ROJA as they were supposedly mentioned SATHYVAN and SAVITHRI….
Now you are doing a very good character analysis through this post.
Suhasini would be very happy if she happened to see ur post!!!
cool.
Adiya on 16 May 2007 at 8:16 pm #
enna vendru sollvathu amma.. neeinga continue pannuigna..:) padikarthukku dhaan naainga erukom..
super post .. maniratham parttharinna ungalukku oru Screenplay writer chance kuduparu …
chiroti on 17 May 2007 at 11:20 am #
solid effort aparna. the name of the movie itself is a classic, ofcourse takes me to alaipayuthey kanna… and the mood is set right there with abheri in the background.
how the movie turns from a childish love tale into a serious institution of marriage focussing on the topsy turvy parts of it, was a treat to watch.
looks like you are very good in dissection…continue to use pictures and way to go!
by the way, i love the veenai that is played as the BGM whenever they show shakthi’s interaction with her parents, esp. the BGM that plays when shakthi and poorni run into their father, before her marriage to karthik and ofcourse this nerve-wracking scene with her mother in the train, ouch, it hurts!
ARR is excellent in creating such jingles and it shows very well in such scenes.
chiroti on 17 May 2007 at 11:26 am #
hey, also, naming the main character as ’shakthi’ and treating that character as someone who goes through a lot of turmoil in her life, all for the sake of love, yet manages to sail through the waves successfully definitely has had some research done in the background. dont you think?
ranjhith on 17 May 2007 at 8:26 pm #
Well written. Great shots as well. I mean, the screen shots.


“Nee azha irrukiyaanu theriyala…”
“Ok aa? Illa Ok illaya?”
I get to remember these, when its Alaipaayuthe. Have a DVD of mine too.
Then, make sure you mention the movie name in the Title of the post. The search engines wud do a good job.
Aparna on 18 May 2007 at 5:04 pm #
Nithya,
I have inserted a pic of Madhavan esp. for you in the latest post
Sathej,
Thank you!
Sivaraman,
Thanks a lot!
I didn’t know Suhasini said all that!
Adiya,
Hey that’s a great observation that you have made about the character’s name! It never struck me!
nandri!
> padikarthukku dhaan naainga erukom..
This is what keeps me going. After all, you are one of my oldest readers
Chiroti,
Thank you!
A separate post focussing on music and BGM of the movie is coming soon
Ranjhith,
Thank you!
Your suggestion has been implemented
Guru on 27 May 2007 at 6:07 am #
Hey Aparna ,
i am from chennai too.. now in charlotte,NC.I like maniratnam more than i like myself. really dont know how did i come to your blogs. Its nice and well organized.
i will keep watching for more in it. Good job. Alaipaayuthe analysis is simply superb.
Aparna on 27 May 2007 at 1:27 pm #
Guru,
Welcome to my blog!
Thank you!
brindha on 22 Aug 2007 at 7:01 pm #
hi