THR India's 25 in 25: How 'Alaipayuthey' Changed The Language of Romance in Tamil Films Forever

Released on Tamil New Year, 14 April 2000, the drama that followed the life of a young couple in Chennai who fall in love, elope and then deal with the turbulence of being married and living away from their families, marked something of a cultural moment in Tamil cinema.  

Directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Madhavan and Shalini as leads, Alaipayuthey would go on to redefine how romantic leads were characterised in Kollywood, and how love stories were written and made for the next two-and-half decades (and counting).

Aiding Ratnam in no small measure were cinematographer P.C Sreeram’s magnetic frames, editor Sreekar Prasad who took to the back-and-forth narration with glee, and of course, A.R. Rahman’s spellbinding soundtrack that still ranks among his very best.

Further cementing Ratnam’s status as one of the few Tamil filmmakers who could handle contemporary romances (and marriage dramas) right, Alaipayuthey’s Karthik and Shakthi still remain one of Indian cinema’s most beloved fictional couples. From delightful experiments in song picturisation (“Pachchai Nirame”, “Kadhal Sadugudu”) and expert transitions in the non-linear screenplay between the present and flashback portions, to engaging depictions of post-marriage unrest and a host of accomplished performances from the ensemble cast that drives the narrative forward, Ratnam’s mastery of his craft is in full flight during the making of the film – and then some.  

Alaipayuthey was also remade in Hindi as Saathiya (in 2002) starring Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi, helmed by Ratnam’s former assistant director, Shaad Ali. 

A still from 'Alaipayuthey'

R. Madhavan on Making Alaipayuthey

In 2000, Madhavan’s Tamil debut created something of a frenzy in Tamil Nadu, especially amongst the youth. Though he was already a known face on Hindi television, Alaipayuthey (helped in no small measure by A.R. Rahman’s now-legendary score) catapulted him to overnight stardom across south India and heralded the birth of a new romantic hero; hits like Minnale and Dumm Dumm Dumm would follow right after. 

“Back then, I didn’t fully realise what I was being blessed with when it came to my first film,” says Madhavan. “When Alaipayuthey came out, I already had a chocolate-boy romantic image, and it got enhanced all over Tamil Nadu. I felt a little detached from the success as I was already 30 years old, and I kept thinking this was a childish tag, and people would soon forget it. But 25 years later, the label still sticks!”  

“I was being launched with the best in the industry; from Mani sir and Rahman to P.C. Sreeram.. how does one get a better debut than that? After the film became a blockbuster, I was anxious thinking I could never top this and my career would only go downhill from thereon. Thankfully, Minnale happened and proved to me that my choice of subjects and ability to design my projects was sound,” Madhavan muses.

He says he understood only later that, unlike other genres, romance works across the field and across generations. "Actors can stand the test of time, provided they make sensible choices of course, if they begin with a strong romantic image,” says the actor, on how the film aided his longevity in the industry. 

Madhavan in 'Alaipayuthey'

However, his biggest takeaway from the making of the film was that it was really important to have a co-star who spoke and understood the language, in order to make the scenes really work on a different level.  

“Both Shalini and I, we weren’t just sticking to the script, we were improvising so much, and that’s primarily because our knowledge of the Tamil language was so sound. It was so important, because you can notice the little nuances in the dialogues and emotions. Unfortunately, after Alaipayuthey, several directors wanted to cast me in similar roles, but I was never paired with female co-stars who were native Tamil speakers,” Madhavan says.  

“The heroines just stuck to the written lines, and I could visibly notice the difference. This is also the reason why I never tried to do too many films in other languages. I tried but it didn't work, and I quietly came back to doing stuff in Tamil and Hindi.”