Maara

Finally, I sat and watched Maara, more than a month after its release. I so wish it had released in theatres. Even if they decide to release it again in theatres, I think I’ll go watch it again. It’s a beautiful movie. When I saw the trailer, it took me only seconds to figure out it was a remake of Charlie. But Maddy is daddy, and Shraddha is terrific, so I had a feeling that it won’t be fuckall or ruin Charlie for me. But it did ruin Charlie for me, as in I am more in love with Maara than I was ever with Charlie.

                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                                                    

Maara is more real. I love how there is a reason why Maara wanders around the world and how Paaru wanders because that’s who she is and there is no particular reason or aim for that. And GOD! The music! And GOD! The costumes!

           

Tessa made me want to have a place for myself and live on my own more than ever after watching Charlie. But it seemed very distant and alien. Especially because I didn’t see Tessa earning her own living. But Paaru is different. She is attainable. She works. She is independent in a more real way. I know getting a job would take me closer to that wind-like life. And Paaru doesn’t really run away from her home. I liked that too; as much as I love the sky, I would like to occasionally visit the nest. But what I love the most about Maara is that Paaru and Maara have a connection, they have always been part of each other’s stories. And without Paaru, Maara would never have found peace and completion in his life. Charlie would have lived on, like an angel flying from one life to another blessing it and sprinkling joy all over, even if he hadn’t met Tessa. Maara is human, unlike Charlie- who seems like he is out of this world. Maara is vulnerable, he is not really chaotic the way Charlie is- it is very calming to watch. But again, these two are different beings altogether.

 

I can’t thank the makers of Maara enough for making Vellayya and Meenakshi’s love story the axis of the movie. If not for the story of the invincible soldier and the fish who had his life, Maara and Paaru would never have met each other. Not just that, none of them would have had the life they were living. Love and the longing to be with the one you love is that powerful; so powerful that it can change the life of anyone who cross paths with you. Hearing Vellayya say that he is afraid of forgetting Meenakshi one day is painful; if there is one thing I am afraid of it is forgetting the ones I love. I can live with bad memories because it means I get to keep the good ones too. When Vellayya finally speaks to Meenakshi, there is fulfilment and catharsis. And when Maara finally meets Paaru on top of a calm and serene hill we know that they will have a happy and beautiful life ahead of them, regardless of them travelling or spending their life together. And I also realised that, meeting someone who seems like they are taken out of a story is unrealistic, and might not even be that fulfilling once you get closer to them. But having someone in your life who loves stories as much as you do will definitely be amazing and worth a story of its own.