If you haven’t already seen Episode 5 of Modern Love Chennai on Amazon Prime, I recommend watching it before reading further. This is an attempt to discuss some nuances in this episode.
Directed by Bharathiraja, dedicated to his close friend Balu Mahendra — this film bears resemblance to the works of Balu Mahendra — seemingly simple, yet brimming with depth and richness. I’m not an expert in film making, and below is a common folk interpretation.
1. The first one minute
The first one minute of the movie hints at what’s about to come and what the whole story is about. Revathi collects her kids from school and dials someone on her phone while contemplating something. In her own world, Rohini attends a phone call and starts a conversation. This is a hint that this movie is just about a conversation between these two lead characters. It’s amazing how this seemingly simple portion beautifully establishes the movie.
Revathi is with her kids, while Rohini is in solitude even when she is surrounded by people, even during her birthday. Revathi is shown in a turquoise-colored saree and a pale-yellow blouse, while Rohini is shown in a pale-yellow saree and a turquoise-colored blouse. Revathi looking towards the frame, while Rohini is looking sideways. Revathi is outdoors, and Rohini is indoors. Revathi is carrying a lot of bags, which are weighing her down, but Rohini is free from any baggage — a complete contrast is established in all aspects.
2. The V congregation
After the beautifully made portion of Ilayaraja’s song ‘என் இனிய பொன்நிலாவே,’ we observe a flock of birds forming a V-shaped formation in the sky — a strategy to reduce overall air drag during their flight. Suddenly, the leader bird falls back, assuming a new position, while another bird takes the lead. This symbolizes the beginning of Rohini’s contemplation about adopting Ravi’s children and starting a new family. Later, we see the same flock of birds at dawn, marking the start of a new day, a new life.
3. Revathi’s gentle push backs
We see Revathi as this big-hearted, practical women throughout the movie but her gentle aggression is expressed in her own ways. It has its own evolution curve, starting with a ‘warning to stay out’ to a ‘motherly compassion’.
4. A new place in family selfie
In a metro train journey, Revathi’s family accidentally encounters Rohini. Revathi’s daughter attempts to take a family selfie, and Ravi teaches her how to take a good one. In this scene, Rohini is seen grinning in the background, while Revathi’s family smiles in the foreground. Now, recall the selfie taken towards the end of the movie, where Revathi fades into the background, and Rohini smiles with the newly formed family.
Ravi’s daughter has now learned how to take selfies, and this learning is symbolic of adapting to a new mother. This visually conveys the transformation of the children.
5. Revathi becomes Rohini, but..
At the beginning of the movie, we see Rohini returning from work — taking an escalator and walking down the corridor. After the divorce, Revathi becomes a reflection of Rohini, which is depicted in the final shots where Revathi wears Rohini’s attire and takes a similar escalator.
However, there is a difference: while Rohini was empty-handed, Revathi now carries a nice piece of baggage — indicating her continued relationship with her children even after the divorce.
This 25 minute movie has lot of layers and awesome dialogues and I think it deserves another post. Thanks for reading!
