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Dasavatharam - Movie Review |
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by an Anonymous Behindwoods Visitor |
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Starring:
Kamal Haasan, Asin, Mallika Sherawat, Jayapradha, Nagesh,
Nepolean, Santhana Bharathi, P Vasu, R Sundarrajan,
Erode Sounder
Direction: K S Ravikumar
Music: Himesh Reshammiya
Production: V Ravichandran |
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It
has been a long wait for Kamal’s fans after Vettaiyaadu
Vilayaadu and the legend has not disappointed them. He has
established emphatically that the wait is certainly a worthwhile
one and has proved time and again that cinema is his lifeline.
The seventy crore magnum opus challenges Hollywood films and
has even set up a benchmark for their films. Special kudos
to producer Aascar Ravichandran for ably supporting the actor
and the director in their pursuit of rendering a world class
Tamil cinema - especially in the technical department.
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The
grandiose scenes spellbind the viewer and the crew has
worked hard to sustain this feeling through out the
film. The film opens with the camera zooming on Chennai
from the ocean and gently stops at Chozha era when Saivites
and Vaishnavites locked horns with each other.
Kamal’s performance, Ravi Varman’s cinematography,
Devi Sri Prasad’s re-recording and Thanikachalan’s
editing teleport the viewer to a different era which
would take a long time for them to unravel, particularly
the scene where the Saivite King orders the statue of
Lord Ranganatha to be thrown into the sea and threatens
the ardent Vaishnavite Kamal to utter Om Namashivaya
just once. And when Kamal begins OM, the suspense is
killing not only for the king but also the audience.
Though the film begins with Chozha period, it subsequently
moves to modern times, bringing with it adventure, high
flying chases. etc
Kamal’s hard work and perseverance is palpable
in every frame
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and in the different getups that he has essayed. An angry
Vaishnava young man from Chozha period, US President George
Bush, mentally unstable old woman, a Japanese Karate master,
Punjabi ghazal singer, a dalit man fighting for justice, an
American terrorist out to kill people, an eight feet innocent
Muslim, an astute scientist, a Telugu secret service man speaking
Tamil in a weird fashion- a variety indeed!. |
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Out
of the ten Kamals, the dalit Boovaraghan stands out
with his distinct style in dialogue delivery, eye movements
and body language. Grandma Kamal is a reminder of Avvai
Shanmugi while the secret service agent tries to tickle
the funny bone in us, while in all the other Kamals,
makeup alone can be talked about.
Asin as an Agraharam girl is a revelation and is almost
on par with Kamal in performance. Mallika Sherawat has
understood why she has been hired and accordingly does
her part. |
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In the music department, the Tamil flavor is retained only
in the Mukunda number while in the others, Himesh Reshammiah’s
difficulty in unwrapping himself from Hindi clutches is discernible.
K S Ravikumar’s directorial acumen is revealed in Ulaganayagane
number where he has picturized Kamal’s make-up secrets.
Dasavatharam’s main forte is technical expertise, which
the technicians have utilized without the viewer being aware
of it. Top of the line technical excellence is perceptible
in Tsunami scenes, car chasing shots, Chozha period sequences
and the scene where all the Kamals come together. On the flipside,
if the focus given to technical brilliance had been given
to a stronger storyline and character portrayal, the film
would have earned a perfect TEN.
All in all a colossal visual opulence at its peak for the
first time in Indian cinema.
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