Mani Ratnam’s being very careful with Ravana

In the original script there were some intimate scenes between Abhishek and Aishwarya, but Mani Ratnam decided to do away with them. Why? Because he did not want to upset anyone’s sensibilities, since the film is a modern-day take on the epic Ramayana.

Ravana takes off when Aishwarya’s husband humiliates Abhishek’s sister and the latter commits suicide. That’s when Abhishek abducts Ash and takes her to the jungle. They then start developing feelings for each other...