October 08, 2010

Ennndhiraaa...!!!

Note:
1.    This is not an attempt to review Rajini. Rajini is beyond all that. Rajini is a demigod...no wait, Rajini is GOD..! These are just my views on the movie. 
2.    Contains spoilers. Thought it would be ok because almost everyone would have watched the movie. 



3 long years of fasting for Rajini fans. It is only fair to end it with a befitting meal. Will Endhiran sate the 3 year long hunger? Well, may be...! Read on...

Rajini has donned 3 totally different avatars in Endhiran. Vaseegaran (A scientist), Chitti version 1.0 (An android) and Chitti Version 2.0 (Upgraded Chitti Version 1.0 gone bad - Read villain. Kudos to Shankar for bringing us back the Rajini from the 80s). Rajini has performed each role with near perfection and with a clear line of difference between them. Very few could have portrayed a robot as well as the super star has. Splendid acting..! We bow before thee. There is a twitter joke which goes "Rajini's next movie is named Twitter - Rajini is doing 140 characters in it". Even when this is just a joke one can be sure that Rajini would be able to do justice to all 140 of them. Without his usual intro, mannerisms and punch dialogues, Rajini just sweeps you off your feet with just his acting. We all know that the superstar can act but it is for his sheer style (Ref appendix :D) and mannerisms that most of us love him. It is also why he has a crazier fanbase than much sought after actors like Kamal or Aamir. I also love Rajini for the very same reason. And that's what I went to see in the movie but except for about 20-30 minutes when Chitti v2.0 was around it was completely a Shankar movie. A typical Rajini intro was missing. Shankar could have given the larger than life hero a thunderous intro to assuage the millions worshipping him as God. Not that the whole movie was soaked with reality that a filmi intro would have looked odd or out of place..! Whatever..!

Things worth mentioning

Chitti version 2.0 - Two months back I rushed to buy an audio cd of Endhiran on the launch day to get a poster signed by Rajini only to be disappointed to see a poster with the picture of Chitti version 2.0. I had mixed feelings about it. I wished they could have featured the picture of Rajini posing with a guitar. And now after watching the movie I have that poster pinned to my desk at work. Chitti version 2.0 - GOD of Villains..! Rajini is at his villainous best. The scene where Chitti v2.0 would search for Vaseegaran in a crowd of Androids - AMAZING to say the least- Rajini shouting Vasi, Meeheeehheee - Enna style..! The rush of blood experience you get is unmatchable. The kind of Rajini every fan would die to see. If only Chitti v2.0 had more time on screen..sigh..! The whole theatre was applauding, non-stop. I just loved this.

AR Rahman - Another reason why you would want to watch Endhiran. BGM keeps you spellbound. This is Rahman's fitting reply to all those vetti junta questioning his abilities. The songs could have been pictured better though. Shankar is known for the richness and grandeur in his songs. May be because he used the budget for special effects in the movie or may be the movie as such was really grand that the songs didn't stand out. I enjoyed the locales in Kadhal Anukkal song. Seems to have been shot in Brazil. Appears to be super place for a romantic vacation. Really pleasing to the eye. Arima arima was rocking the theatre but again could have been pictured better. Overall a feast to your ears. ARR, you are awesome..!

Other things I would like to add...

  • Tamil cinema is going places...yeah, right..! We are still manipulating controls in a robot using a screw driver. How different is this from Gaptun clicking on links in Windows media player movie in Ramana? Koduma koduma...!
  • You know why budget of this movie was close to 200 crores? No no...not for the special effects/computer graphics...it was for showing Aish beautiful...She looked like a kezhavi in Raavanan but looks so stunning in Endhiran. Its ok because unlike heroines in tamil movies who just show up for the songs, Aish is there almost throughout the movie. 
  • Why are people creating so much fuzz about the Ranguski Mosquito scene? Yeah it is irritating but the kids would love it. This is a movie for all ages remember? 
  • Chitti V1.0 running on the side of the train is not against the law of gravity. Robot is just shown to use his magnetic ability to stick to the train's metallic body. 
  • Chitti kicking someone spitting out of the train is Shankar's touch.
  • The mariyaatha scene was funny. 
  • Karunas is an assistant scientist. Oh, really? :) I have always wondered why artist selection for a character is given much importance when it only depends on how people portray the character. I got the answer after watching Karunas as an assistant scientist. Seriously, sema comedy sir neenga...!
  • I like Devadarshini. She does character roles pretty well. Even if she had only about 2-3 scenes in the movie, she has done a good job as usual.
  • I hate Revathy Sankaran. Ma'm ungalukku enna role kuduthaalum orey expression dhaan kudupeengala? Ungalukku nadipu varuma, varaadha? (Nayagan style)
  • How many of us know how big a zettabyte is? This movie might be for all ages but not for all classes. Though Shankar has tried to cater to all audiences there are lot of technical jargons that people will not understand. I will be taking my parents for this movie sometime next week and I am preparing myself to answer a lot of questions :)
  • Art direction could have been better. Vaseegaran's work place looked artificial. A lot of sets in the movie looked very artificial.
  • Chitti V1.0 dismantling itself/himself in the climax was totally senti. I am sure it would have left a lot of people in tears. Again, its Thalaivar's acting, dialogue delivery. Super..! 
  • Thalaivar looks stunning in the birthday party suit. 
  • Like Shankar had said during the trailer launch, the last 30 mins of the movie is awesome. Hollywood ishtyle.
  • Lyrics by Madhan Karky were good. Pulikku porandhadhu poonai aagadhu types. 
  • Human eyes give out emotions. Shankar has used sun glasses for both the androids to hide the inevitable human emotions. Cool.
  • Please please please bring back the Annamalai title intro music. That is so damn good. That is epic. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpbFbb9CQ6Y&feature=related
  • After watching Endhiran, I feel like seeing Thalaivar in a full time villain role again.
  • Last but not the least - Thanks to Kamal Haasan and Sharukh khan. (They were approached by Shankar before Rajini was asked to do this movie. It is only because they said no that Rajini is in Endhiran)

Something to give a serious thought about.

They say this movie is our answer to movies like iRobot or Avatar. Those movies were first of the kind. We don't have any first of its kind movies. This is definitely not one. This is again based on what we have already seen in hollywood movies. The people who have worked for this movie are also the same who worked for iRobot or Avatar. This is a mix of iRobot, Bicentennial man and Transformers. Except for a little creativity on Shankar's part there is nothing different. Please don't tell me we are trying to give C sector audience a taste of hollywood style - Almost all the hollywood movies with rocking computer graphics are now being dubbed in tamil. So why this hype? I would be really happy that day when we make a truly world class movie which has never been attempted before. 

All said and done, a lot of effort would have gone into making this movie and I don't want to take away the credit from the people who worked for this. This movie has a very good entertainment quotient and can be watched and enjoyed with your family. So do go see. Enjoy that 30 minutes of Thalaivar's merattal....and 30 minutes of technical excellence...DOT..!


Appendix

Reasons why Rajini is a super star...

Vayasaanalum un azhagum style'um unna vitu pogala - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa5u42SAyDk&feature=related

And more...