Rajni Turns Robo. Dot.

"We have 3 festivals down south. Deepavali, Pongal and a Rajni movie release" said someone sometime back. Enthiran stands up to it, rather tall!

As rants and raves came pouring from all directions, the air of expectation that surrounded this movie far surpassed all else around it - so much so that people even stopped talking about the Delhi debacle!! Even FB seemed to have partnered with the media giants to promote the Robo - every single update on FB made me think I am wasting time by not being at the cinema hall!

So then how did Robo measure up to all of this? Two words - Robo rocked! He walked, danced, kicked and kissed his way through all the hype. Although, he did need a bit of hand-holding here and there. And with Aish around to lend more than just a hand or a shoulder, he wouldn’t fall down now, would he ;)

Man vs Machine - a topic that has been beaten to death in almost all known languages, has been handled with a surprising amount of élan, considering the fact that this is the first such attempt in the Indian movie industry. That too, by stepping away from the usual 'Machine takes over the world' storyline. It was refreshing to see the script centred on the ‘human’ emotions of the not-so-human android.

And who better to enact it all? Rajni the creator, Rajni the Robo and Aish the woman in-between. Rajni dazzled and Aish was at her sizzling best. As for the rest of the cast, they have just filled up the gaps. Danny Denzongpa is the only other worth mentioning. But with Rajni the Robo turning into Terminator-3 mode, there is no much scope for a second villain - is there?!

The music is more than just hummable with glimpses of vintage Rehman coming through.The picturisation of songs is dreamy – perhaps even to the envy of National Geographic in accessing some exquisite corners of the globe. A few laughs have also been sprinkled around here and there to keep everyone happy.

However, Enthiran doesn’t come without his handicaps – not even version 2.0! The pace of the movie was a little uneven. The first half was a bit of a drab. Song placements seemed abrupt at best. Support cast hardly shared screen space. Screen play looked a bit patchy, if I may venture. And most importantly, the robot is supposed to be built on a PENTIUM platform. I mean WHY?! (for those who don’t get this, I am an AMDer!!)

The graphics? It almost seem like two distinct teams worked on the graphics. One focusing on Rajni as the robot and the other team focusing on all else around him. Obviously, Rajni's team won hands down! The car chase in-between and parts of the final sequence are too meandering and forgettable at best for the patchy work (we toldya, dont rely on that pentium thingy!). But the formations of the robot army were fantastic and well executed. Obviously a lot of time and energy has been invested and it has paid off.

I wanted to bring up one of my theories here. Something built upon observing some of the sci-fi movies that are well appreciated for the effects and graphics. I noticed that most of them are almost completely monochromatic with a blue/grey/green hue to it. You might see some dark patches of red here and there. But thats about it. Does monochrome provide for better graphics? Will the absence of colors hide the abnormalities in overlapping graphics with real video? I wonder.

So then, I sat there at the end of the movie, until the credits ran out, a bit dazed. Wishing it didnt end so soon (after almost 3 hours) and at the same time wondering what could have been better.

Well, what could have been better? The first half could have been more to the point. Maybe a song from the packed second half could have been pulled into the first. Maybe the support cast could have been given a bit more screen space, just to break the monotony (Spare me Rajni die-hards). Maybe they could have avoided obvious inspirations from movies like Mask or Robocop. Maybe a version 3.0 with all the signature Rajni-isms reinstated?

Closing line. Its neither a typical Rajni movie nor a typical Shankar movie. But then, this is not your typical movie anyways! Robo Rules! Dot!

Raavan - Duss sar walah!

Shot 1, Take 1, Lights, Camera, Action!

My first attempt at a movie review, quite unsurprisingly starts with a 'Madras Talkies' home production. A movie I was waiting for with increasing frustration as I sat through some other productions (Housefull, Singam to name a few) that simply insulted the intelligence of the movie going public.

So when Raavan came along, I was all excited. And to summarize how I felt after sitting through the movie, I came off wanting to watch it again - albeit in another language.

For those who want to see a remake of the Ramayan, with the characters etched in similar colours, I would advise that you rent a copy of Sampoorna Ramayanan and quietly watch it at home. For those who don't mind a bit of tinkering around with the original, and for those who don't mind an abstract version of the same being presented to you in a very different perspective, yet on a colourful canvas, book yourself a ticket to see Raavan.

To start with, let me get the negatives out of the way.

As I said earlier, its very abstract. Its like reading a RK Narayan short story - with no beginning and no end. Had there not been a Ramayan written ever, this movie would never raise an eyebrow when it comes to the portrayal of the characters or the thin, short, story line it follows. There has been an attempt to fit in a few characters to the original Ramayana, a few depictions too direct (Like Hanuman) and a few too indirect (like Surpanaka). Its a bit of a hotch potch. It would have been better off if a direct mapping of the characters was not attempted. Yet, what you expect from the movie is important. If you view this with the Ramayan at the back of your mind, you will come off with a few questions only Mani Sir can answer. If you see this as another story, you might rest easy.

And from a strict Mani movie sense, there are a few clichés that will remind you of a Roja or even Guru. Roja for the placement of songs, the movement of the Army, the lighting etc and Guru for some Abhishek-Mani trademarks respectively. Some parts of the BGM also may remind you of Roja.

The action scenes need special mention here. Yes, they were fantastic in one scene and ghastly in another. The trick shots, what we lay men call 'cut and paste' are a bit too evident and could have well been replaced by simpler shots.

On to the positives.

The background for the titles at the beginning is a work of art. The best I have seen so far in Indian movies. I know the titles don't make a movie, but this is worth paying attention to.

The treatment for the entire movie is very Raw and earthy. Its something one can easily relate to. One wont feel alienated throughout the span of the movie. You can feel the pulse. You can feel the surroundings and its easy to be part of it. Maybe the music played a part or maybe it was the cinematography.

Mention cinematography and I am bubbling here. This one single aspect of the movie can be a seller in itself. One can watch the movie just to see the forces of nature captured from angles only Mani and his team of camera men can pull off. The sets blend perfectly into the locations. The characters merge in seamlessly. A couple of scenes worth mentioning are the initial boat crash from under water and the scene with Abhishek spinning on the coracle - with the camera spinning at a slower speed (So far I have never seen the subject as well as the camera spinning together, its usually one or the other).

Abhishek's performance - I sometimes wonder if he is the best actor we have, in spite of all the Khans. Mani's persistence with him is not surprising. He has brought out the best in him till date. As for Ash, though plastic in some scenes, she has done justice to Mani's addiction to her as well. Vikram - as Dev has had limited scope. I want to see him as Raavanan for sure. The casting overall is very pleasing.

The very fact that the story is abstract in itself adds a beauty to it. A limited space has been explored thoroughly. Its like reading an abridged version of an epic. The highlight is on three characters. Making it easier and simpler to follow. A different perspective to any story is always welcome and that's what has been provided. Each perspective presents you with a unique understanding. What you see is what you believe. Raavan is worth it!

My take on Raavan's 10 heads:

Abstract :-)

Bold :-|

Raw :-)

Scenic :-)

Distinct :-)

Abridged :-|

Clichéd :-(

Assorted :-(

Techniquement au point :-)

Maniratnam :-)