Anjali is one of Mani Ratnam’s finest films and a brilliant blend of all that is artistic as well as cinematic. It is about a father who tries his best to shield his family from harsh realities and the pain brought in its wake. It is about a mother who is unable to get over the loss of her stillborn child until she discovers that she had not lost this special child but is going to. It is about siblings who can’t stop fighting each other but will defend each other even when up against those who are stronger and meaner. It is about a brain damaged child who has no future but who still manages to light up the life of everyone she meets in the brief time granted to her. But mostly it is a film about a cold and cruel society that makes you pay a terrible price if you dare to be different even if it wasn’t your idea in the first place.