“SUPER STAR RAJNI” animation:
I shall first start by saying about an amazing thing that happened. While I was entering the Theater in New Jersey, I was telling my friend that it would be super cool if they changed Thalaivar’s Name animation which is currently in 2D to 3D, the animation where all the letters in his Name comes flying. To my surprise it had been changed!! I was so happy and shocked to see it live!
The Introduction:
As always every Rajni fan awaits his INTRO with bated breath. To tell you honestly, this is one of the most awesome intros ever in Rajni films. Thalaivar flips a bubble gum into his mouth with panache, in a manner only he can. A typical Super Star walk to follow it up and there you go...Thalaivar kicks bad ass!
And you know what? That’s the end of the stereo-typical Rajni we all know of, but still enjoy. No style. No cigarettes. No punch dialogues. No political remarks. A film which relies purely on the story and the performers is what people are in store for. That is Chandramukhi for you, neatly done.
BABA:
After traveling for 3 hrs from Philadelphia to New York and booking the tickets like 3 weeks in advance, and after all the whistles and shouts and lottery tickets (yeah in USA), the first thing I noticed in the movie BABA was Thalaivar’s VOICE, it has definitely changed, it sounds more Mature! I mean the “Ganeer” voice have gone? He first lost his lovely, stylish amazing hair, now his voice! God, why him? Pls spare our Thalaivar… The next thing was his “SuruSuruppu”, where is His swiftness? I don’t know if it is because he is acting after 3 loooong years and that he has lost Touch or is it because he is old? I sensed some kind of “Dis- Interest” in his action. “Eno-Dhaano”. I would die in peace if he give just ONE SUPER HIT movie with everything he & his Fans like in it. I had the same feeling while watching Chandramukhi too.
Stunts:
Tamil Cinema should totally avoid those stupid WIRE / Cable stunts in which all the Hero’s fly & look absolutely ridiculous. Thalaivar’s stunts used to be so so so stylish. The way he keeps walking, not looking at the enemy, but still hitting him; hitting the enemy on the face, chest and belly and repeating it…so many stuff! Man, I miss them!! There are just two stunts in the entire movie. They have tried their best to maintain the larger-than-life image of Super Star in these stunts. They just freeze the frame to give an impact, which doesn’t except for one or two shots.
Costume:
I must accept that the costumes Thalaivar wore were simply amazing and apt. It remains a mystery how they managed to give Thalaivar this refreshing look. I must confess that Thalaivar’s “Just had a Plastic Surgery” lip looked like he had worn Lipstick, but I’m not sure if that the reason or is it a Real Dark Lipstick!! They could have avoided too many Close up shots and had Mid-Range shots. But on the whole Rajni is awesome!
Special effects:
Hmm.. again positives and negatives. Certain scenes are boosted up with beautiful effects. Always happens in Tamil films, the inefficient usage of graphics. So I feel they did a decent job on this one.
Music:
The songs fit amazingly into the movie. Cannot be better woven. Vidyasagar, I now feel, has done full justice and played his part effectively. Good BGMs are an essential part of a suspense film. The re-recording is very good too. But as always, ARR is ARR. Baba BGMs rocked completely! I miss ARR!!
Songs Picturisation:
Decent job. Devuda Devuda being the intro song and shot in an expected manner to the complete satisfaction of Rajni fans. Athinthom is simple and sweet, but what about that bright blue Kurtha?? I picturized that song to be like Thalaivar would be singing it on a stage in a temple or something. It resembles Veera’s konji, konji. Konja Neram has been shot in astonishing places of Istanbul. As expected, Annanoda Paattu is what got that fans dancing. I was awaiting to see Thalaivar saying “Ippudu Choodu”, he did, but it was just for a split second!! The Director does NOT give reaction time for the Audience! He did not understand what an hardcore RASIGAN wants.
In Baba, Prabhu Deva made life miserable for Rajni with those “Kaka Valippu” dance steps for “Baba Kichu Tha”. It turned out to be a mockery then! Lawrence’s Maaya Maaya was brilliant! So nice to watch Thalaivar in that song. But glad in Chandramukhi, that Rajni has not tried too much.
Comedy:
It has been wisely sprinkled throughout the movie. No hilarious stuff to get you roll on the floor and laugh. Usually the whole family like to watch Thalaivar’s movie, ight from my 2 yr old cousins to 85 yrs old Granpa. I was a bit shocked & surprised to hear “Double-Meaning” jokes from Thalaivar like “Kaai adichittiya” etc. I convinced myself saying that may be Thalaivar does not know the real meaning of it and that the Director used his innocence! What a disgrace!.
Vadivelu:
He (and many others, including the heroine) could have avoided calling Thalaivar “Vaayaa Poyaa”. Since Thalaivar has constructed a tiny Circle called Image around him, his ardent fans like me are not willing to accept these out of Rajni’s stuff, that too while he is in the verge of quitting Cinema! There is a scene where Rajni narrates a ghost story to Vadivelu. Reminded of Nagesh Balliah in Kathalikka Neramillai? So was I. Obviously, that was sheer class. But thay could have avoided such a CLOSE SHOT! Anyway, the scene as a whole evoked good laughter though. Rajni as a comedian, needs no special introduction.
Jothika:
A commendable perfomace by Jothika. She was brilliant with her acting. She actually is SCARY. A person whom I found irritating in the movie was Nasser. I have a feeling he over did things. Too much of shouting spoilt it. Mookku mattum dhaan valarutha?
My Disappointment:
Being a hardcore Thalaivar fan I so desperately wanted punch dialogues and Rajni styles. I spent the first half of the movie re-assuring myself : ’’Ok, Rajni will do it somehow’’, I kept saying to myself. It was only after the interval that I made up my mind to stop expecting. But now, since he has broken many of his usual things he does like throwing a cigarette, punch dialogues etc, for his next movie people would definitely go with minimal expectations and it is a brilliant but Risky strategy Thalaivar has handled.
Conclusion:
Having a clear winner in hand, such things would have spiced up things catering to the taste of every single person. They could have probably capitalized on that one to make it really big especially when Mumbai Express doesn’t seem to be pleasing its passengers.
No Superstar ingredients. But you know what, I want to watch the film again! Something seems to be missing today. I am missing Thalaivar’s screen presence already! GOD! , what a fanatic I am! :-)
Vaazhga Thalaivar!