Our take
For better or worse, marriage links the fate of two people for the rest of their lives, even long after it has ended. So when separated because of kidnapping, of course a loving spouse would do all they can to reunite again. It’s this motivation that drives Roja, both the character and film. Through a couple torn apart, Roja urges the nation to bring them together by bringing the region and the whole of India together, by ensuring that the region doesn’t separate from the whole. Admittedly, the pan-India nationalism does somewhat detract from the couple’s struggle, as it includes some plot points that needlessly endanger both of them. However, Roja as a romance is quite compelling, maybe just enough to ignore its flaws as a political thriller.
The story
Roja, a simple girl from a village in Tamil Nadu, makes desperate efforts to find her husband, Rishi, after he is kidnapped by militants during a secret undercover mission in Kashmir.
After her sister rejects her city-grown fiancé Rishi, 18-year-old Roja is surprised when Rishi requests her hand in marriage instead. However, he is a cryptologist working with the R&AW, and on a mission in Kashmir that gets him kidnapped.
The flag saving scene took me out of the film just a little bit, to be honest. It’s understandable for a film promoting the idea of India as a whole, but it doesn’t make sense for a kidnapped person who is surrounded by supposedly dangerous people.
It’s not as polished as director Mani Ratnam’s other films, but it’s one of the first times he effectively merged romance and critical issues into great drama.
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
