If Cinema is for ‘entertainment’, he is the Baadshah. The news maker is now out in action. The 57 year young ‘Super star’ Rajinikanth’s historical movie ‘Sivaji’ released finally, and I am one of the lucky guys to watch in on the first day(14th June). Here I come with my first hand, first look report:
The movie is an out and out entertainer. You could easily call this the ‘best-ever’ Rajini movie. I could see ‘not-so-satisfied’ souls coming out of the theatre. I would ask all these guys to wake up. If James Bond is a brand, Super man is a brand, Rajini is a brand as well. Even if it is Shankar directing, the formula stays. With a whopping 75 crore production cost and 18 months of effort, and 700 prints across the globe, it is expected to satisfy all type of audience. And the movie has all the elements to send any movie-goer frenzy.
Honestly enough, I am a fan of Shankar, than I like Rajini and I was disappointed a bit that the usual Shankar elements were missing in the movie. But, till now even when huge crores revolve around this one name called ‘Rajini’, he has remained only a regional hero. Shankar has taken him a step ahead and reachable to wider audience. THIS is the Shankar element in the movie. He has shown Rajini in the best possible way, where he does every single thing he is so used to – with STYLE.
Enough has already been said about the story, in different ways by many people, mostly extrapolated with what people see from pictures, songs, trailers and rumors. All that I would like to say is that the story is real straight-forward. For convenience(of me not writing the story!J), I copy what the cinema portal( http://www.cineworld.co.uk) says:
“Sivaji is a great businessman known as’The Boss’, since he owns a successful company. Then his manager ruins his business and Sivaji end’s up going to jail for a mistake that he did not make. Shriya hires a good criminal lawyer to get him out of jail on bail, but not before learning a few life lessons. Once out he takes revenge on the people who were responsible for his trouble, and with the help of his lawyer regains his lost property and so becomes the boss again”
I shall leave the rest of story telling to Shankar, when you watch the movie.
As you always expect for a movie with such a high production cost(read “Shankar movie”), the technical aspects are the best you can find in Indian industry. You would be stunned and awestruck at the settings for each and every song. Rajini movie is usually grand. Shankar movie is usually grand grand. This is a Shankar+ Rajini movie … you know the rest. A. R. Rehman is simply superb both on background score and the songs. Shriya(a surprise selection as heroine) is gorgeous; Suman is just so apt as the villain(a king maker); Vivek delivers style and comedy alongside Rajini himself…
And Rajini is the axis around which everything and everyone revolves. He makes his presence felt in every scene(Watch out for the ending especially). He reinstates that he is the ‘Super star’, but not without Shankar’s help. There are surprise elements in the movie as well. Yes, there is little clichéd stuff too. But if the movie has to reach the masses, even a director of Shankar’s caliber has to give-in. The ‘opening song’ is a typical example of that. Rajini though looks young, his age comes out when he dances. Given these limitations and compromises and in all the excitement and the pace at which the movie moves, the EFFECT of the movie fails to sink in. Give it some time …
Leave your expectations back at home. There are few things that you have to compromise in the movie for a fellow movie-goer of a different class.
But,
Sivaji rocks(…~ aThIrUdHiLlA~ …) Period.
Smiles,
Envyram @ Vinayak
(Please do leave your comments)
A note/request: When you watch the movie, you can see the hard-work and money put into the movie and pains the movie makers go through(for any movie for that matter). Please refrain from watching the movie on downloads and fake DVDs. Let us get a little responsible, if we are not already.