VISITOR COLUMN

Well! A Kamal Hassan's direction. Do not expect usual masala craps... After watching the movie for 7 times I am sure one can understand that Director has restricted himself a lot to add more realistic things that happen in real world and besides censor board and other requests from protests. I had been part for many discussions on terrorism in the past and its quiet obvious religions pop up, I had always answered them to take example of Abdul Kalam or AR Rahman who also follow same faith. Looks like Kamal Hassan has directed a movie for Muslims who are against Terrorism.

These are only spoilers so don’t spoil your curiosity if you still haven’t watched yet.... Let me get to core of the movie. Right from first scene Kamal uses pigeon to paddle the boat.... Pigeon signifies peace and so it does in the movie too, it signifies peace loving Muslims or ISLAM THE RELIGION OF PEACE. But it’s misunderstood and mis-taught by many in history and today. Most of them say that you got have or hire brains for 3 hours to watch a Kamal Hassan directed movie and I guess I vouch for it. Many a times he had mentioned that he learnt the art of symbolic education in movies through his Master K Balachander. And so is Vishwaroopam with lot of symbolic education and a visual library.

When I saw the first 2 times I never realized but the third time I realized that Movie doesn’t start at Nirupama's entry rather the story starts right immediately after title Vishwaroopam is displayed.

While title credit goes on at the back ground there are pigeons in their own cages until a Man/Terrorist walks in, feeds (thoughts of Jihad) those pigeons. He chooses one white Pigeon and sends it. And it’s not white anymore; it has black spots on it... Symbolizes that Muslims are brainwashed to Jihadi. The black spotted pigeon flies across Wall Street and lands at Charging Bull which is the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity of American Economy in Wall Street... I guess he tries to explain how Terrorists brought American economy down by bombarding Twin Tower and post military & army expenses which brought down America's economy.

Coming to the major portion of the movie, movie was banned in some places and protested by many since they ASSUMED that movie is Anti-Islam. Movie proves that jihads have wrong perception of Quran and wrong way to follow Islam.

1) The scene where boys dance wearing female attire and public enjoying, Omar and his men destroy the dance and get all those boys punished as it’s a sin, but the same Omar allows his son to wear a burqah as a suicide bomber to bomb US Tanks.

2) After bombings by US where even Omar is hurt and asks Wisam as why “OUR RELIGION” is treated this way? Why Muslims are tortured so much in this world? Am I not another Jihadi who fights for Allah? Why should we shed tears? Wisam replies "WE ARE JIHADIS" (replacing "religion" to "jihads" from Omar's question) we are not meant to shed tears but she blood. "You had answered your question in your question itself, if there is a fight there would be death too" Omar the jihadi has no difference between Islam and Jihad but Wisam explains it clearly.

3) Its unfortunate that terrorist are Muslims and strongly believe in God. They believe that they kill people for betterment of Islam, which is not in real world. Omar and his men pray before any killings or bombings. At the end, Abassi the Nigerian prays to God before the bomb goes off, Omar and Salim pray before the detonation simultaneously Wisam also prays, when a FBI officer (Israeli) asks Tom what is Wisam doing he says that "he is praying for you" the person (Israeli) asks "God Vadim" (Hebrew Meaning of Vadim - God is my strength)? Tom replies "Exactly, except that is Arabic version" So Wisam the Muslims prays for that Israeli too.... Now all these 3 people are praying the same God but for different reasons and finally God only makes Wisam's prayers come true as he saves New York... Director differentiates Quran from Terrorist and a Good Muslim :) Also one can connect Israeli and Palestinian wars when Tom answers Israeli's question.

4) There are scenes in the movie showing Muslims shave their body and pubic hair. It’s some Islamic tradition for Muslims purify corpses by washing the skin and nails and sometimes by shaving the pubic hair. So he's clean when he enters heaven. Since all these terrorist have wrong opinion that if they kill tom dick and harry they would go to heaven and most of the times they are suicide and prepared to die. In the movie even Wisam shaves his pubic hair assuming that he would die in BATTLE OF SAVING LIVES OF NEWYORK.  Wisam and other terrorist follow same tradition but for different reasons. Now whom do you blame the religion as whole or just some people who think that they represent the religion?

5) In the public hanging scene, which according to jihads is justice done to a sinner. Almost everyone wears a white taqiyah (worldly called as Muslim caps) or imama in Arabic except for Wisam who wears Black taqitah. Black signifies sadness worldly however it signifies evil according to Quran and Bible. One can relate what director is trying to prove by wearing black cap at the so called justice done to the sinner.

6) The little boy is ambitious about becoming a Doctor while Omar restricts him to a Jihadi as his brother Mammu. The scene where Wisam (Kamal) swings the little boy and the boy says “I am not a child" and walks away from the swing. But his brother asks Wisam to push the swing and he enjoys the swing by closing his eyes against light, though light falls on him he ignores to accept it by closing his eyes. Proving difference between a matured little boy and un-matured grown up brother. Reason is obvious...

7) Pigeons are used in most of the scenes in the movie. Whenever a Mosque or a Tomb is shown in the movie and there would be pigeons too on that tomb or mosque. Omar walks beside the mosque walking against those pigeon, symbolizing that Jihadi hate peace and hence kick them.

8) While at the Public Hanging scene, there are lots of people observing the death of Nasir. Omar eats something and feeds the same to a Pigeon (Symbolizing feeding his thoughts to good Muslims).  Omar sits beside 2 Pigeons on right side a Gun on left side Nasir's mom cries out of depression and curses Omar and his men, Omar has option to choose between Peace (Pigeons) and War (Gun) but still he choose to pick up the gun..

9) The scene where sheik is introduced to Wisam, a red rose garden is shown in dark and by head lights of the cars the roses are visibly red and once they cars pass by there are no lights and its appears black, logically and scientifically the scene is justified but one can understand the director's thought being seeded into the scene of proving flowers go dark after Jihadi pass by them.

10) When Deepak questions Wisam about his religious faith, his wife says "Avar ADHU dhan" it’s quite obvious that she isn’t comfortable with the name of the religion and hence addresses as ADHU rather dhan Islam. She hated Vishwa / Wisam even before knowing that he is a Muslim. But she starts to love him after realizing that he is Muslim. The scene when Kamal walks down the stairs with black leather jacket, Nirupama admires him and so is the pleasant BGM goes instead of Thunderous mass BGM which most of us would have expected when Kamal walks down. She hated him when he was a Brahmin and now he is a Muslim and she loves him... I guess director Kamal tries to prove that LOVE > Religion. 

11) When the director introduces the detective Peter, Peter leans on an advertisement hoarding that says "Americas Most Favorite", explaining CIA and detective agencies of US which is being US’s most favorite from Director’s point of view.

12) There are 2 scenes of Obama speaking in TV at the second time Obama says that Laden is killed praising America while below the news is "Petroleum hike by 3%" and on the right side "WORLD ALERT". Self-explainable. LOL

13) Some scenes show 2 sided statue is shown in the movie. One side being a man and another a woman. While the first song the statue is placed against a mirror, the camera shows the mirror and the statue. One can see both the faces of statue in the same frame. And again in the end once Kamal's boss says that he is the only live agent and the statue is shown both the sides. 2 sides of one statue and 2 sides of Wisam. Represents the role of Wisam in the movie as double agent.

14) At the last minute of the movie, director shows how Wisam enters the territory of Al Queada by dropping from a helicopter. According to Islam half-moon is not really related to it or Quran, however some Muslims started using it as symbol of Islam in past history in fact Islam is against using such symbols... The crescent is mentioned in the Quran as the non-Muslims asked the Prophet about it "They ask you, about the new moons. Say, they are measurements of time for the people and for? Haj."" Quran 2:189. (2). However in some people in Muslim faith, it’s believed that Crescent moon is coming of second son and also representation of new day as according to Islam and Jewish a day doesn’t start by sunrise but at sunset. A Crescent does come after sunset.... While Kamal Hassan falls from the sky entering Al Queda territory a crescent moon is seen, so you can connect to the previous 2 sentences. :) Symbolizing a start of new day or start of new Muslim era in this Muslim hated world. As Wisam is an Indian Muslim Army man and saves 1000s of lives in the movie. Proving worth of Muslims to this world. If I was a Muslim I would thank Kamal Hassan and not protest.
 

Finally movie is not Anti-Muslim, its Pro Muslim. :) Movie is taken to prove that good Muslims are overshadowed by many things and most of the times are swept away with odd things around this world. I would say this movie is Tribute to Muslims… So has he proved through this movie? Well, audience first got to understand the movie to answer this question… 
 

MOVIE - A TRIBUTE TO PEACE LOVING MUSLIMS