Jun 14, 2008 12:53 AM
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(Updated Jun 14, 2008 08:31 AM)
Films with double and triple roles are nothing new for Indian cinema. Generally the story is about siblings who get in all sort of situations and ultimately emerge trumps. But, for the first time in the history of world cinema, one actor has attempted to present 10 different roles on screen. The final product is 'Dasavatharam' a super-human effort by Kamal Haasan who along with playing the 10 avatars has also written the screenplay. The movie has been kept under wraps for a long time and no one knows the story until now. Dasavatharam is surely going to be regarded as a milestone in Indian cinema.
The movie starts off in the 12th century when Koluthunga Raja(Napoleon) asks the Vaishnavites to abandon Vishnu and follow only Saivisim. Rangarajan Nambi, an Iyengar priest refuses to heed the king's words and pays with his life as he is thrown into the ocean with the idol of lord Ranganathar. The movie then cuts to the 21st century where Govind Ramasamy, a bio-weapons specialist has developed a very powerful bio-weapon capable of killing millions. Govind finds out his boss' plans to sell off the weapon to an unscrupulous buyer and decides to steal it himself in order to protect it. Christian Fletcher, an ex-CIA agent and modern day hitman is hired by the villains in order to recover the vial. The chase begins from USA and then shifts to India, wherein Govind tries to shield the virus from Fletcher and his gang. Helping him are many characters(mostly played by Kamal) and Aandal(Asin), an Iyengar girl whose only drive in life is worshiping God.
The plot of Dasavatharam is quite simple, but yet quite complex. The basic crux is the cat and mouse game between Govind and Fletcher, but the movie also addresses many other issues: religion, politics, science, the environment and the list goes on. The fundamental theme underlying the movie is Chaos theory which states that each and every event in the world is interconnected to one another. Dasavatharam opens up a lot of threads finally tying them up in the climax. The director KS Ravikumar and Kamal Haasan need to be congratulated for presenting such a novel theme for Indian audiences. The screenplay is outstanding and Kamal excels in his 11th avatar as the script writer. Writers will regard the script of this film as a textbook of writing. The movie is extremely fast paced, not once digressing into unnecessary song and dance and comic interludes. Kamal weaves in all the commercial elements seamlessly into the main framework. As such, the basic plot is wafer thin, but Kamal and Ravikumar ensure that you never feel that void.
Dasavatharam is reportedly the most expensive film in Indian cinema and the moment the movie begins you know where the money has gone. Huge sets from 12th century Tamil Nadu, modern day Bio-weapon plants and the Oval office, the film is simply a visual treat. The CG work and the action sequences are absolutely brilliant and are world class. Fletcher's intro sequence and the chase through the streets of USA are pulsating. The hyped tsunami sequence is wonderful. Though there are a few shots which do appear graphical, the overall destruction effects are superb, reminiscent of the Hollywood hit 'Titanic'. Dasavatharam is one film which needs to be seen only in theaters if one needs to experience the grandeur and opulence.
There must be a special mention about the makeup done by Michael Westmore. Most characters are beautifully created, though some do appear artificial. George Bush and Fletcher are particularly not that great in terms of makeup, though Kamal does a swell job portraying them on screen which makes you forgive the fallacy in the makeup department. Fletcher and Bush look like the villain from the hit Jim Carrey movie 'The Mask' with a very artificial face.
Jayapradha is adequate as Avatar Singh's wife. Mallika Sherawat has been cast for obvious reasons and adds to the glam quotient of the film. Asin is good, though her acting does get repetitive and she tends to scream and shout a bit too much. The other actors like Nagesh, Bhaskar slip into their roles effortlessly.
Finally one man rules the film. Kamal Haasan is simply outstanding as the 10 characters and fits into each character effortlessly. Kamal ceases to exist as he becomes the character. Rangarajan Nambi, Govind Ramasamy and Krishnaveni Patti are the pick of the lot. Chris Fletcher has a lot of style, but the makeup disappoints a bit too much. George Bush has an inconsequential part. Kalifulla Khan is possibly the only unneeded character in the film with his tall height and broad face. Vincent Poovaraghavan is brilliant and so is Avatar Singh. Balaram Naidu is awesome with his comic timing and sure to guarantee laughs and Shighen Naranhasi excels in his fights. Dasavatharam is a tour-de-force of the actor's talents. Surely, he deserves the adage 'Ulaganayagan'.
Most movies will entertain and enlighten you. But, few movies can stun you. Dasavatharam is one such movie. It has everything for everyone but above all it has a very deep intelligence which is missing in most Indian movies today.
Dasavatharam gets 4 out of 5.
