Alaipayuthey: Madhavan and Shalini’s original summer romance still feels raw and real, 25 years on

Got scared?

I lost my life.

If you lose your wife, were you planning to live happily?

It’s an exchange between a tearful, broken Madhavan and Shalini in a hospital room. Shakti has just opened her eyes after a devastating accident that would normally be fatal—but that’s the magic of films: They make you believe love can bring you back. This little exchange is the conclusion to a romantic drama, that really, can’t fade from the public consciousness.

The story of Alaipayuthey is relatively simple, and you would have seen infinite variations of the same story, but that’s the magic of storytelling: The way it is packaged. At a wedding, Karthik is riveted by the feisty, sardonic Shakti: it’s love at first sight. He pursues her determinedly, and she, finally falls for him. After their parents meeting comes to blows, the two take a drastic step and elope. The honeymoon phase ebbs and the real struggles of marital life settle in, and it takes a near-death experience for them to learn what real love means.

It's the charm of the 2000s, a Mani Ratnam film paired with A.R. Rahman’s music, a dream pairing. Even 25 years later, the track Kadhal Sadhagadu remains an anthem of blossoming romance and playful love, alongside the gentle Pachai Nirame, where Karthik realises his deep love for Shakti.

Later, Bollywood delivered a remake, one of the better remakes, Saathiya, which featured Vivek Oberoi and Rani Mukerji. No doubt,  the image of Oberoi zipping down Mumbai roads listening to O Humdum Soniyo Re will always remain in our minds. The film had a similar freshness and sweet charm, but yet, the original Tamil film has a different essence altogether. Somehow, Shalini’s quirky dialogue delivery to Madhavan still remains superior, especially when she asks him with a straight face, “How can I leave my parents and dog and come to you?”

Remakes can be a delight, but truly, there’s nothing like the original. Give Alaipayuthey the love it deserves, this summer.