After running out of the movie hall feeling highly claustrophobic with the screaming and chaos sans story line, I was tempted to log in and write the most angry and acidic review EVER! Why angry? Because, here was a character who I have watched over many years, moving from mediocre actor, to great actor, to great director, to great artist. Unfortunately, just like every talented person comes with a quirk-his is ego!
The indian version of Eddie Murphy (Must be a Norbit hangover) , the movie starts off with a promise of great things to come. 30 minutes of drama placed in a period long forgotten, it brings out the angst and heartache during the Shaivite-Vaishavite blood battle. Post this period, the narrator suddenly moves into the year of the tsunami with a promise to stitch together the pieces.
Patiently the spectators and fans sit through a gruelling 3 hour period and 10 forms of grotesque masks to have that promise kept. We have the vaishnavite, George Bush, A scientist, an ex-CBI rogue, a muslim giant, a punjabi singer, a mentally deranged old woman, a christian environmentalist, a chinese karate champ and an Indian customs officer. Why does the man feel that there is a dearth of good actors in our country? Whether it is Hey Ram, Kuruthi punal or Dasavatharam (Not to mention most of his others) there is this overpowering need to dominate every frame inspite of having established actors with him. Just picture Dasavatharam with 10 different actors over different periods!!! The movie -goers would have been able to focus on the movie and not get bored seeing another kamal with an obvious mask trying hard with a different accent each time. I guess an Aamir Khan is still able to steal the limelight because of his ability to allow the focus to shift from him, everytime the story demands it and keep to ensuring the movie is directed well. We have a lot of large-hearted people saying nay to any kind of criticism again the movie with remarks of how hard he has tried. Well! I think we need to move from idolizing a star to making good movies! Period! Bad movie, people! There is no story and there is no entertainment and all the screaming does not permit a good nap either. 3 hours can be better spent elsewhere!