Revathi revisits 'Mouna Ragam', says she now sees red flags in male lead

Among Mani Ratnam’s many acclaimed films, 'Mouna Ragam' holds a special place. Released in 1986, the film starred Revathi, Karthik, and Mohan in lead roles. Even today, Revathi’s bold character Divya remains a topic of conversation, especially for how progressive and layered the portrayal was for its time.

In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Revathi reflected on the film and said that she now recognises some of the red flags in Mohan’s character. However, she added that it didn’t seem too problematic to her, possibly because she belonged to that generation.

Speaking in the context of her work with the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), Revathi mentioned that many of the experiences shared by women during WCC discussions were ones she had also faced. But back then, she hadn’t realised what those moments truly meant. She noted that sometimes, when people brushed against others on set under the pretext of accidents, it was often intentional rather than accidental.

Revathi acknowledged that the current generation is far more aware and informed about boundaries and consent. She said she had been learning from them, and it was through that lens that she began to see Mohan’s character in 'Mouna Ragam' as a red flag.

She referred to one scene in particular, where Mohan’s character tells Divya that he can turn her into a good wife. She admitted that she now sees that line as problematic. Had 'Mouna Ragam' been made today, she believed it would look very different.

Revathi also brought up another key scene, where her character compares arranged marriages to cattle being showcased at a market. In response, Mohan’s character laughs and tells her he likes her. She felt that Mohan’s character was ultimately a good man. When he learns about Divya’s past, he chooses to give her space and lets her make her own decisions.
She concluded by saying that, for her, the character didn’t feel like a complete red flag — and that might be because of the generation she came from.