Dasavatharam...

After almost 2 years of hyping the expectation levels in people, I was nearly sure this is one movie I would catch up with in a theatre, just to treat myself to the sound and visual effects in full force. I went to see the so-called magnum opus of Kamal on the 3rd day of its release and returned with a lot of questions racing thru’ mind. First of all, I flatly deny the tag hanging on to the movie - this is NOT anywhere closer to be called a Magnum Opus of an actor who excels in quality equally with world cinema. So what if he takes 10 different avatars? That does not qualify the movie to a safe place in the critique’s court. The plot is strongly purposeful; a biological warfare which loops in world class scientists, CIA-turned terrorists, FBI and even US president George Bush. I took a while to make some sense out of the flow of the plot from a 12th century diversification between the vaishnavites and the Shaivaites where Kamal plays the steadfast Vaishnavite who leaves his family behind and dares to die because he does not want to say ‘Om Namah Shivay’. The only link this thread has with the movie is the point that the massive sculpture of Lord Vishnu which Kamal is tied with and dropped into Ocean is thrown back to the shore by the Tsunami waves, about 8 centuries later.

The movie is an entertainer, sure, from start to finish. But that's just the least that has saved it from hitting the below-average mark. It's a visual kickshaw, no doubt. But when the flavor goes high with ingredients like the genius in Kamal Hassan, there'sn't much that satisfies his intelligent fans apart from the magnitude of hardwork that has gone into it from the editing and the visualization part. For me who has grown up admiring the brilliance in Kamal's movies, the word 'Classic' just fades away from the plate that carries his master pieces on serious subjects like Kuruthipunal or Mahandi or Nayagan or a delicacy of humor like in Micheal Madana Kama Rajan or Sathileelavathi ....the quality these movies carried in every respect of Cinema is just adorable. What is more incredible is the point that the beauty of this was achieved when we did not have super eminent technicians like Ravi Varman or PC Shriram doing the work behind the cameras. PC Shriram was part of Kuruthipunal, though, I believe When it is a magnum of a few intelligent minds making a movie, people do not expect anything less than an Opus and only when the product of the combined work strikes out all the records it has set in the hearts of movie goers, I would call it a Magnum Opus. I believe I have seen more in Kamal and that's my solid base to expect more from him. If you attempt to take viswaroop with 10 different avatars, it's just another slot in the Guiness Records for you, alright and Congratulations for that but sorry that hasn't helped me stand up and give a standing ovation at the end of it like I wished it did. Kamal, good job but Dasavatharam is definitely not a splendor that any Kamal Hassan-lover was expecting it to be.