Best Scene in Ravanan

I saw Ravanan for the second time this week, and I noticed a few finer points that I missed earlier. Among the various scenes in the movie, I enjoyed the one in which Aishwarya Rai prays in front of God (a partly broken statue on a river). What she and Vikram speak in this scene conveys each of the main character's position in this classic story of good versus bad. And, it also conveys Mani Rathnam's point of view on Ramayana (that no character is black or white, but all are shades of grey) .

First Aishwarya Rai. I thought she was at her acting best in this movie. And in this scene, she has done a neat job. The anguish that she expresses in front of God, by asking bad people to be shown as entirely bad, comes through very well. Her anguish indicates partly that she has developed a soft corner of Veera, and also that she doesn't like it.

Second, Vikram. To talk about Vikram's acting merits an entire post. But to express it in few words, it is suffice to say that he is fast nearing Kamal's lone position at the top. The way he enacts the sense of jealousy, by lifting his arms and making a dramatic speech about he feels bigger than everybody because of his lust, actually makes you forget that he is the bad guy here. In some ways, it's Vikram's amazing portrayal of Veera that has made the movie click with the audience.

The music, location and camera angles for this shot are excellent. They are in perfect sync with the pace of the story. Watch out for this scene when you watch the movie. I think it comes after the scene where Priyamani dies.