Mani Ratnam uses composition within the frame to allow for the story to be told more deeply and also allows space for the characters to bring the story to life through their internal work. Ratnam uses the contrast of Sujata and Guru meeting on a train in the middle of the night with their leaving for Bombay on a train in the light of the full sun. The imagery allows us to see that Sujata was once attempting to run away and live in the dark, but her leaving with Guru shows they are living in the light of their love for one another, a love they don't have to hide from their parents.
The director uses place to reveal the emotional state of character in the film. One example is when Guru finds out that Meenu is married to Shyam. We see the line of tiles in the composition as if they are running through Guru's head like a dagger. The emotional response is quite evident just through the imagery that is created. In the same way, we see Manik during Meenu's funeral standing before her with the flames burning in his face. This reveals the great grief that burns within him at the loss of his daughter. Lastly, we see Sujata and Guru lying on the bed in the home they once lived when they first moved to the city. They are older now and the image makes it appear that they are upside down as we see flashbacks of them when they were younger. The image shows us that their world is one hundred and eighty degrees different than when they first arrived.
With techniques such as these, Mani Ratnam has created a film that reveals the dreams of a common man coming true against great opposition. Most specifically, the opposition being the class system that has supported the rich for centuries and left the commoner with no way to fight. Guru becomes a great champion for the common man in this film, that like him, anyone can become more than the status he (or she) was born into.
