Have you ever watched a romantic flick that kept you on the edge of the seat better than a thriller could? That's 96. A masterpiece in story telling, acting, cinematography, music, and whatever else it is that goes into making a movie. You don't know when the laugh turned into a lump and back to laughter. That's the kind of roller coaster ride director Prem takes you for 158 mins. And when it is over, you're not sure if you need to get up and go or wait for some more. I tried, but didn't get any more of the movie. And I hate Prem for it.

While we are talking of Maniratnam losing his touch (I cross my heart and hope to be wrong) and Shankar losing his, well... mind, here comes Prem, a debutant director giving us what will be long considered a cult hit for a few generations to come. True, he has helmed the camera for a couple of good movies before this and has worked as an assistant to a wildlife photographer before. But this is a flash of genius. I hope it's the flash of a spark that will turn into a raging fire. Ok, I've become a raving 'fan'atic. I'm a sucker for good romance and I've been longing to come out of a theater feeling like this for long time. Trust me, it's been a long wait (for any genre for that matter).

I'm not a great fan of Trisha. But, her performance in 96 is simply scintillating. She speaks volumes with just her eyes. They say so many things that no words can ever say. Sethu is in his usual element. The versatile actor adds another feather to his ever growing hat. And those two kids! Where did they even come from? It seems I continue to rave here, and I don't care. Ram and Jaanu will be characters (all four of them) who will be on people's mind for a long time.

This is not a movie review. This is just me gushing.

The director summed up the entire premise of the movie with just one dialogue that keeps ringing in my ear when Ram says "I'm right there where I left you".