Vishwaroopam - Ungodly

(I was lucky to watch this movie before most of you get to watch it in Tamilnadu & for once I was happy I lived in Hyderabad. I would not usually write a movie review as I strongly feel the impact of a movie depends on the individual watching it & I wouldn’t want to bias anyone’s view. But considering the controversies surrounding the movie, I thought I should contribute my bit towards clearing the air. I have not included any spoilers apart from those already circulating on the net.)

Let me state at the outset that I am appalled & intrigued to know whether the Censor Committee actually watched this movie before approving it. By this I don’t mean the communally sensitive content which has stirred the hornet’s nest everywhere but the graphical & explicit violence & the blood and gore on screen (there are numerous scenes of them which I don’t want to list out here) & the Censor Board’s rationale behind giving this a clean ‘U’ Certificate. The only explanation I could think of was since there are no ‘trademark Kamal intimate scenes’, they thought it was unfair to give an ‘A’ certificate to the movie.  I was deeply troubled by the children who were present in the hall, both for them as well as for me (the constant cries and chatter is irritating).  I would strongly recommend you to leave your children behind when you go watch this movie, whenever the powers-that-be allow its release.

The first thirty minutes of the movie is in a different zone altogether. If you thought the initial 10 minute GVM tribute to Haasar in Vettaiyadu Vilaiyaadu was MASS, wait till you watch the transformation scene here – MARANA MASS. You are left screaming at the top of your voice, irrespective of the 80 year old paatisitting next you.

The actual story kicks off after this. The next 2 hours involves a lot of action scenes and an emotional roller coaster as we reach the climax. This is where you feel cheated as there are no big bang action set pieces or stunts which you come to expect from an ‘International level action thriller’. The climax is mostly thrilling sans any action. Maybe Kamal reserved it for the next part.

The 2 hours after the intro build-up would require you to follow the proceedings keenly. Kamal does not resort to the spoon-feeding prevalent in the recent spate of ‘thinking’ movies (think 7AM Arivu & Thuppaaki). The action takes place across the globe and therefore the dialogues are a mix of Arabic, Pashto, English & Tamil. There are subtitles to guide you through this. But I think people who didn’t get what happened inDasavatharam would have a hard time understanding what’s happening here. Whatever you do, please don’t ask Haasan for an explanation. I think the greatest insult to any creator is asking him for an explanation about his creation.

Kamal has maintained a fine balance between the Jihadis and the Americans & shown both sides of the coin. You would know by the end of the movie that he has not painted a biased picture of any community. All the hoopla is coming from people who have not been able to follow the multi-lingual dialogues and the global story and depend solely on the visuals.

In my opinion, the film is basically a battle between the good and the bad & how often the lines between the two blur & becomes a murky shade of grey. The dialogue ‘I am both a Hero & a Villain’ aptly summarizes the moral quandary of the lead characters.

The performances are top notch from all the lead characters. Kamal’s performance of a person with an effeminate side is quite entertaining. The rest of the movie is just a cakewalk for Kamal the Actor. For me the standout performance is from Rahul Bose who plays the villain, certainly one of the best portrayals of a negative character in recent times. Shekhar Kapur seems wasted and the only purpose I think he was on board was to bring a certain international aspect to the film.

Technically, the film is on par with any of the international projects you could get to watch. Though there is not much visual grandeur to justify the Rs.95 crores spent in making the movie. Anyway I fail to understand why there is so much of an obsession over ‘Hollywood Standard’. Music by Shankar- Ehsaan-Loy is perfect. It is alternately electrifying, soothing & mysterious to complement the different moods of the film.

There are many plot similarities between Vishwaroopam & the American TV Series Homeland (which itself is based on the Israeli TV series ‘Prisoner of War’). I don’t know which one was conceived first & don’t want to comment on that. But if you have watched the First Season of Homeland you would say there are a lot of similarities here.

In the business of entertainment (sport having become one), you have the liberty to compare across segments. If you think about it, there are a lot of common points between Haasar & Sachin. You have been closely watching their output for years now.  You proudly talk about some of their best innings/movies where you vividly remember each and every shot/scene. They have been a prodigy from their childhood & learnt to ply their trades under the aegis of esteemed masters. They have won so many accolades & awards & set so many records that you have lost count & they just don’t matter anymore. You watch them simply for the pleasure of watching them perform. Just One more time.

Watching Vishwaroopam is like watching Sachin bring up his hundredth hundred. You absolutely loved that crisp straight drive or the cheeky lap shot. Even though it is a little labored, you don’t lose a chance to be a part of the crowd and cheer and scream when he ultimately gets to that milestone. But in the bottom of your heart you know there are other innings from the Little Master, which even though didn’t have any statistical relevance, were absolute beauties.

Vishwaroopam is a very ambitious film and such films should be encouraged & deserves your eyeballs over other mindless movies. However give me Kuruthippunal and I will take it any day over Vishwaroopam.

P.S: I think it is unconstitutional to stall the release of a motion picture that has been approved by the CBFC. I hope common sense prevails and we get to have a chance to appreciate and applaud and scream and enjoy the genius that is Haasan. Just  one more time.