Aishwarya Rai 1997

[Norine Wiltshire]

AurPyar Ho Gaya (transl. And Love Happened) is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Rahul Rawail, starring Bobby Deol and Aishwarya Rai. This film marked Rai's debut in Hindi film industry.[2] The film's music was composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who also makes a cameo appearance in the film. He died only a day after the film's release.[3]

Ashi is a free-spirited young woman who was born and raised in a very traditional and conservative Indian family that prefers arranged marriages to love arriages. As she is twenty-five years old, her family has arranged her wedding to Rohit Malhotra, son of family friends. As he is established in business, the couple will be residing permanently in Switzerland as Mr. & Mrs. Malhotra.

Respecting her father's guidance and wishes/customs, Ashi agrees to the marriage proposal on the condition that she be allowed to meet her fianc Rohit anonymously and get a chance to observe his character and personality. Ashi's father obliges to this condition and she soon sets off to Switzerland to meet her potential suitor - Rohit Malhotra.

While she is there, she learns that Rohit is away on an emergency business meeting and nobody can say exactly when he is to return. So Ashi stays in Switzerland for a few months waiting for him, and in the meanwhile she meets a man called Bobby, who is smitten by her beauty and strikes a friendship with her. He soon finds out from her that she is frustrated in her failed attempt to meet Rohit. After a week, Bobby cannot help himself as his heart pines for her. So he disguises himself and meets her as the Rohit she has been waiting for all these months.

Ashi is happy that at last, she gets a chance to meet Rohit before marriage and after a few more weeks, Ashi begins to like this new character. But she then finds out from Rohit's accomplices that Rohit is still on his trip and therefore, Bobby's real identity. This doesn't bother her as she is already in love with Bobby and is ready to move on from Rohit.

Upon their return to India, Ashi explains to her family that she met Bobby instead of Rohit and wants to marry Bobby, not Rohit. Ashi's family are at first, reluctant but after a few weeks, Bobby's family comes with a marriage proposal for Ashi.

In the months leading up to the wedding, Kailashnath is summoned to appear in Court during which Bobby's mother testifies that Kailashnath is one of the perpetrators. Kailashnath immediately and furiously cancels his daughter Ashi's wedding to Bobby. Furthermore, he arranges Ashi's marriage to Rohit. However, after an unexpected reveal, the story ends happily with Ashi marrying her Bobby, and not Rohit.

India Today wrote, "Aur Pyar Ho Gaya is like a Chopra film having a bad day. Missing are the deft storytelling skills and lovely music. Rawail's film, despite the heavyweight brand names (music: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) is a laboured love story."[2]

The high-budget film had its original soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman, and the cinematography was by Santosh Sivan. This film marked Mohanlal's debut in Tamil cinema after having only a cameo in Gopura Vasalile.

The film was screened in the Masters section at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. Iruvar went on to become a critical success, winning the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival and two National Film Awards. In 2012, Iruvar was included by critic Rachel Dwyer in the 2012 British Film Institute Sight & Sound 1000 greatest films of all time.[1] In a 2013 interview, Ratnam said he considered Iruvar to be his best film. It used DTS 6 track sound recording.

In the late 1940s, Anandan, an aspiring actor, goes around studios in Madras trying to land roles. He meets Tamizhselvan, a rationalist writer he respects, steeped in Dravidian ideas. On the strength of Tamizhselvan's flowery writing and his own impassioned delivery, he is offered the title role in a few films.

Tamizhselvan introduces Anandan to Ayya Veluthambi, who leads a Dravidian political party. He grows to like the party's ideology. Anandan marries Pushpavalli, while Tamizhselvan marries Maragatham, from their respective villages. When the two return to Madras, Anandan's film has been cancelled due to financial difficulties. In a few months, Tamizhselvan's party becomes the main opposition party. Anandan is reduced to playing minor roles. He sends Pushpavalli back to their village and considers joining the army. A few days later, Pushpavalli dies from illness and Tamizhselvan consoles a despondent Anandan.

Weeks later, Anandan's fortunes return, and he is again offered the part of the protagonist. He convinces the director to hire Tamizhselvan as screenwriter. The film receives tremendous response upon release. Anandan becomes a celebrity and a major star in Tamil Cinema within a few years. During the next elections, Tamizhselvan encourages Anandan to use his popularity to help their party attract more attention. Anandan marries fellow actress Ramani who was being tortured by her own family. Five years later, Ayya Veluthambi asks Anandan to contest in the upcoming elections, much to the displeasure of Tamizhselvan, who thinks other, more devoted workers deserve candidacy.

Anandan is shot in neck by a prop gun while filming a scene, but the party sweeps elections, with 152 seats out of 234. Ayya Veluthambi refuses to become chief minister. He asks Anandan and another leader, Madhivannan, to decide who should be given the post. Tamizhselvan is resentful that Veluthambi did not involve him, but is chosen to be the chief minister of Tamil Nadu with Anandan's wholehearted support. Anandan later asks to be made the health minister, but Tamizhselvan refuses, on the pretext that the executive committee forbids ministers to continue acting while in office. He offers Anandan any portfolio of his choice on the condition that he suspend his acting career. Anandan does not take it up.

Senthamarai, who had admired Tamizhselvan's daring protests, moves in with him when he writes her a poetic letter and has a daughter with him. Anandan's co-star in his new film is Kalpana who resembles his late wife. While initially distant, Kalpana's chattiness draws Anandan to her. But still married to Ramani, his indecision about another marriage, angers Kalpana because of which she leaves him.

In a memorial function on Ayya Veluthambi's death, Anandan claims party's corruption in governance was the cause of death of the former. Anandan's expulsion by Tamizhselvan splits the party, with several members creating a new one under Anandan's leadership.

Anandan uses next four years for his popular films to highlight corruption in Tamizhselvan's government and storms to power in the next election with 145/234 seats. But his governance turns out to be no different. Tamizhselvan's eloquent diatribes against misgovernance spark protests and Anandan orders his arrest with a heavy heart. Meanwhile, Anandan sees Kalpana at a disaster relief site and asks her to be brought. The car bringing her meets an accident and Kalpana dies.

Anandan is distraught over Kalpana's death. At the wedding of Ayya Veluthambi's granddaughter, a visibly ailing Anandan meets Tamizhselvan. They share a handshake but hardly talk. The next morning, Ramani finds Anandan dead in his bed. Tamizhselvan, in an emotional monologue set in a place where the two had previously planned dominating the Tamil state, recites poetry mourning his death.

In October 1995, Mani Ratnam announced that he was set to make a feature film titled Anandan featuring dialogue written by his wife Suhasini and starring Mohanlal, Nana Patekar, and Aishwarya Rai.[4] Initial speculation suggested that the film would visualise the duel between Velupillai Prabhakaran and his former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam deputy Mahattaya, who was executed in 1995 for an alleged plot to kill his mentor, with Aishwarya Rai reported to be playing Indira Gandhi.[5] Mani Ratnam was quick to deny any political backdrop claiming that the film would be about the Indian movie industry; however, this proved to bluff the public as the film was to be set within a political canvas. The film was later retitled Iruvar (The Duo). The idea to make a film on the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M. Karunanidhi and their influential relationship between Tamil cinema and Dravidian politics was sparked off by a conversation Mani Ratnam had with renowned Malayalam author, M. T. Vasudevan Nair.[6]

The actor to play the role of Tamizhselvan, inspired by Karunanidhi, took substantially longer to finalise with the initial choice, Nana Patekar, withdrawing after several discussions about his remuneration. Later, Mammootty was offered the role but declined, as did Kamal Haasan and Sathyaraj.[8][9] Negotiations with R. Sarathkumar failed as he demanded a higher remuneration, and Mithun Chakraborty declined as the required looks would have affected his other film commitments. Arvind Swamy was later signed on,[10] but soon opted out after a look test, as he could not cut his hair for the role, which would have caused continuity problems for his commitment to Minsara Kanavu and Pudhayal (1997).[11] Ratnam called R. Madhavan, then a small-time model, for the screen test, but left him out of the project citing that he thought his eyes looked too young for a senior role.[12][13][14] Subsequently, Prakash Raj, who had played a small role in Ratnam's Bombay (1995), was signed up. Prakash Raj initially told Ratnam that he was unprepared to essay such a delicate role on such short notice, with Prakash Raj later revealing that Ratnam nurtured the character and brought self-confidence into the actor.[8]

The film was shot across in 1996 and schedules were canned all across India from Kerala to Leh with Mohanlal stating that it was the longest duration he had shot for a film.[15] To ensure perfection, Ratnam made Prakash Raj take 25 takes for his first shot, lasting over six hours. After the shooting for Iruvar was completed, Mani Ratnam asked Prakash Raj to dub in Tamil himself for the first time, with his work taking four days to complete.[8]

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