Arunkumar Mohunraj 20 years ago when I was a kid watching this movie I cried and laughed and had goosebumps from scene to scene. I have always admired Manirathnam for his brilliance no matter what he does. Lately watching too many international movies have put him at my top list of directors to avoid. He cheats his fans by copying from Hollywood.I just finished watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" 1962 movie with Gregory Peck as lead role. No matter what I said about that guy I always had a thought somewhere in the corner of my mind that "Anjali" movie is his original creation. The entire sequence of Prabhu in Anjali forms the core theme of "To Kill a Mockingbird"How the kids are scared of a neighbor. How the kids run at night and knock on his door and run back. How the kids bet to go there at night. And finally how this guy is not as fearful as they have always imagined. I still rate this movie at 4 because 20 years ago I did not know this and he had given be a great feeling then.

mohan59 It's common knowledge that Mani Ratnam is considered one of India's best directors, if not the best. That reputation has come thanks to films like Anjali. It is entertaining at times and at others, unabashedly poignant to the point of being melodramatic. But, what it never fails to do is make you think. Backed up by a fantastic crew comprising of legends like Ilaiyaraja and the precocious performances of the children, the film is a landmark effort in portraying the trials and tribulations of a family when faced with a totally unexpected development.A middle-class family is fairly contented until the wife delivers a still-born child. However, with her husband's gentle administration and the antics of her other children, the wife puts her grief behind until one day, she is shocked to discover that her husband is "seeing" another woman, as alleged by her son who happens to spy on a secret conversation while welcoming the New Year with a raucous dance party at midnight. Following a furious argument, the husband is forced to admit that the still-born child is still alive, but in no position to lead a normal life. Struck by autism, the child's days are numbered and the husband (who happens to be a doctor) seeks the assistance of a specialist (who is incidentally the other woman) to revive the child and help it lead a happy life. The wife is undaunted by the traumatizing prognosis and takes the eponymous child home to care for her.At the apartment, hell breaks loose with the neighboring kids taunting the unwitting child, whose siblings retaliate with force. Fortunately, the child is slowly accepted by the other children, but the adults aren't so accommodating. An ex-convict enters the frame somewhere and hisses venomous threats at the apartment association members. In due course, the child becomes the darling of the block and all seems well.One fine day, Anjali's elder sister tries to awake her, with no response. The elder brother tries likewise and to his horror, discovers that she won't wake again. Husband and wife are equally devastated but the elder sister won't give up. The film ends up with the elder sister's haunting exhortations for Anjali to wake up from a never-ending sleep.I was 10 when I watched this film for the first time and I remember bawling my eyes out when it ended. So good were the performances of the three child leads, that they were honored with the National Award for the best child artist. That said, the film raises some uncomfortable questions: would real-life parents sacrifice so much to care for such an ailing child? Would society be kind enough to see beneath the obvious illness and appreciate a child for what it is? Your guess is as good as mine.An awesome effort.

harkiratsl Mani Ratnam is one of my favoriate director and he have created history as he made a two year child act a very difficult role of a character "anjali". Revathy have also performed very well as usual and even raghuvaran have performed well. Hat's off to Mani Ratnam. The story is of a mentally retarded girl who is brought back to the family and her brother and sister doesn't accept her and tries to disturb her . But in the end they accept her. It contains very much sad scenes which makes the audiences sometimes cry like anything and the audience love to see this film i can bet on it that's why it was sent by the India to the Oscars. And Ratnam again created history. Mani ratnam will again make this kind of tragic films which touches some hearts.

jazzyjez This is an unashamedly populist film. As a result, it's got the occasional cringe-worthy cheesy sequence (and I'm thinking the Science Fiction / Star Wars pastiche here), and it doesn't really grapple with the reality of bringing up a disabled kid.However, it has some excellent and very funny scenes, and it does deal brilliantly with social attitudes to disability. It features the full masala quotient, with fights, singing, dancing, bad jokes and pyaar-ishq-mohabbat. It also made me cry like a baby.In conclusion, an utterly excellent film, although not without flaws (as Mani Ratnam himself admits), which features stunning and thoroughly convincing performances. Should be seen by everybody.