Romance has always been an integral(and interesting) part of Manirathnam movies. From Karthik's playful but persistent wooing of Revathi in Mouna Raagam to Madhavan's winning over Shalini in the recent Alaipayuthey, Manirathnam has always portrayed romance in a way that is cute and instantly appealing. So when he makes a full-fledged love story, it is no wonder that it turns out to be youthful, spirited and one of the best in its genre. He keeps away from almost all the cliches that have haunted love stories in tamil cinema. So we get a romance that is not set in a college and is not threatened by religion, caste or the parents' status. Idhayathai Thirudaathey makes us wish we could fall in love all over again.

That is not to say that the movie is without its faults. Manirathnam has his own distinctive style and so a few scenes have a familiar feel to them. Nagarjun's acts, like asking Girija to show up at a particular time, remind one of Karthik's similar acts in Mouna Raagam while Girija's playful and outspoken character has large shades of both Amala and Nirosha in Agni Natchathiram. Both Nagarjun and Girija seem hale and healthy and show absolutely no outwardly sign of being afflicted with fatal illnesses.The unconnected comedy track is vulgar and unfunny and a very big turnoff. In the company of a lesser movie, it would have sliced off more than half a star. But Manirathnam's handling of the romance portion itself overcomes these blemishes to make the movie hugely entertaining overall. The movie is both funny and touching in equal parts.

The story itself couldn't be simpler. When Prakash(Nagarjun), a carefree, happy-go-lucky youth(his first two "I love you's" are to his university dean at his graduation and to his doctor in the hospital!), is in the hospital for a minor injury, he learns that he is afflicted with a fatal disease. He becomes depressed and unable to bear the sympathy and tears of his parents, he moves out to a guesthouse. There he has several run-ins with Geetanjali(Girija), a playful and energetic girl. Learning that she too is afflicted with a fatal disease gives him a new outlook on life while making him fall in love with her.

Movies where one of the lovers is afflicted with a fatal disease(usually cancer) are common in tamil cinema(Vaazhve Maayam and Payanangal Mudivadhillai, to name a couple of big ones). But Manirathnam throws a twist in this tale by making both the hero and the heroine fatally ill here. And he succeeds in doing this without immersing the movie in a load of tears and sentiments. Fun is predominant, especially until Nagarjun and Girija explicitly express their love for each other. Scenes like Nagarjun kissing Girija in the hospital and bringing her grandmother along when she wishes to speak to him alone are extremely cute and funny. Same goes for Nagarjun's tactics like crying out to God in the church and visiting Girija when she is being treated by her father.

Manirathnam effortlessly brings in the romance or sentiments and the shift is mostly seamless. He makes us genuinely like the characters and wish for their happy union. I remember people clapping in the theater at the end of the O Priya Priya... song(when Nagarjun and Girija unite after surmounting various problems) when I first saw this movie. That is always a signal of the audience's sympathy with the characters and involvement in the movie. Purely sentimental scenes are few but these really work. Scenes like the one where Girija, who philosophically tells Nagarjun how she deals with the fact of her days being numbered, asks her father if he can make her live a few days more, tug at our heartstrings.

There is even a dash of philosophy thrown in, by means of the radically different ways Nagarjun and Girija view their impending, inevitable deaths. Girija's explanation of her easygoing behavior inspite of her situation is practical and the way Nagarjun's attitude undergoes a change after listening to her is a nice touch.

Ilaiyaraj's contribution to this movie cannot be measured easily. While the songs are all memorable without exception, it is in the background music that he really scores. From the haunting I love you... tune when the titles are shown to the playful tune at several instances where Nagarjun and Girija one-up each other to the fast-paced music during the climax, his background score sets the perfect mood for every scene and is an inseparable part of the movie. Ofcourse, the soundtrack was a huge hit with Mano taking over for all songs from SPB, who sang the songs in the Telugu original. Om Namaha... and O Papa Laali... are my favorites with their melodious tunes. Kaattukkulle..., like the scene itself, is a nice blend of comedy and horror. P.C.Sreeram's camera does wonders with the mist-filled hill station weather. The scene where the fog floats up from the door to Nagarjun, at which point he realises that someone has opened the door, is spectacular. As is the scene where the beam of light from his flashlight pierces the fog in the forest when he searches for Girija.

Nagarjun portrays both the carefree and heavy hearted portions of his role well but the star of the show here is Girija. Her expressive eyes speak volumes and convey a whole gamut of emotions. Just see the widening of her eyes when Nagarjun tells her "I love you" and you'll understand what I mean. The scene at the railway station where she blames Nagarjun for not telling her of his illness proves that she can handle heavier scenes too. Its a wonder she disappeared completely after this movie. Neena, who has graduated to heroine status with movies like Vidukathai, is the most noticeable of the girls who play Girija's sisters. Her grandmother, her father(Vijayakumar) and Nagarjun's mother(Sumitra) also play their roles well.

Idhayathai Thirudaathey steals our hearts.