Today on Valentine’s Day, we are not here to talk about undying, mushy love but instead, we are set to defy the romantic cliches. Love need not be about chocolates, surprises, candlelight dinners and gifts but instead it can be about sharing dreams, having random conversations on food, not getting over the person you love, unlikely friendships and relationships at different stages in life. South cinema is at the forefront of standing up against romantic cliches with its content-driven films. Today, on this day of love, we want to show you the other side of romance. Here are 5 films we fell for, thanks to their not-so-typical love stories.
OK Kanmani: Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen as Adi and Tara were a breath of fresh air in the world of done-to-death love stories. Their love story was so easy, not only on the eyes (since both are so good looking), but also on the heart. There were no grand gestures but a comfortable friendship that was at the base of their relationship. Mani Ratnam also managed to make it relevant for the times when he weaved in the concept of living in. But it’s the other love story, one between Prakash Raj and Leela Samson aka Ganapathy and Bhavani – a senior couple that makes this movie special. Their unflinching loyalty and love towards each other, that is shown in instances throughout this movie, is what OK Kanmani is celebrated for.
Premam: Whoever said we experience love only once in our life hasn’t watched Premam. The film revolves around a boy, who experiences true love at three different stages in his life. He was no casanova, but an ordinary guy who sincerely fell for each of these girls. The movie was a visual marvel as director Alphonse Puthren introduced us to the modern-day style of filmmaking. Here was a movie that could be experienced, apart from being watched. Nivin Pauly was already re-defining romance, but with this film, he created a place for himself permanently in the rom-com genre. His evolution across the stages in his life was relatable, heartwarming and genuine. He was supported by fantastic acts by Anupama Parameshwaran, Sai Pallavi and Madonna Sebastian. Especially Pallavi, who became an overnight sensation after this film.
Salt N Pepper – Love stories are not always about gloss. It’s about showing an unlikely story that develops between real people. Lal and Shweta Menon, two veteran actors of Malayalam, came together to play Kalidasan and Maya – two ordinary people who were getting on with life mechanically. But when they shared a random phone call everything changed. It was not about the call but about what they were discussing – food! That was enough to spark a strange relationship between them. Two people, who never met each other, were slowly falling in love. The movie touches upon self-esteem, self-worth and companionship beautifully.
Pelli Choopulu: When Telugu cinema was drowning in regressive love stories, a love story came along and broke the monotony. Starring a fresh cast – Vijay Devarakonda and Ritu Varma and directed by debutant, Tharun Bhasckar, the film had a novel appeal to it. The movie was about a boy meeting an ambitious girl and helping her fulfil her dreams. Unusual story – check, promising lead story – double check, visually appealing – check and unique style of filmmaking – check. The movie garnered rave reviews on its release.
Arjun Reddy – If you have had an overdose of happy-go-lucky films, Arjun Reddy will balance it out. A story of a temperamental medical student who goes down the road of destruction post a rejection is what you need to watch. Although controversial, the film is fearless in its making. Vijay Devarakonda proves his mettle as he takes on this intense character after playing an easy going guy in his previous film.