Cinema

Kamal Hassan is known to research a lot before embarking on any movie. I am sure he would have researched a lot before his latest much hyped movie, Dasavataram whose USP is Kamal playing 10 different roles in the movie, claimed to be a world record by the makers of the movie.

Lets face it, the most number of roles played by any actor in any movie is 27! This was done by Rolf Leslie in the 1913 movie, Sixty Years A Queen. Unfortunately, not much evidence or documentation of the movie is available now. This valuable piece of gyaan was given to me by RIchard and Yuvraj, my colleagues at FIndNearYou.

Either Kamal and troupe have not done enough research or they, in spite of knowing this fact, are promoting this to be a USP of the movie.

Other actors who have done more than 10 roles in a single movie so far are listed here.

Update: I got a hate call now - just twenty minutes after I posted this blog entry!

After reading my review of the movie, Billa, Sanjay requested me to write the review of one particular movie. It seems he watched the movie and hated it. Let me not name the movie since I also hate the movie; or rather we both hate the actor. He is the one who neither changes his looks for any movies nor changes the formula stereotyped stories!

Incidentally the name of the movie Sanjay wanted me to write about is an abbreviation which also stands for a pornographic term.

His movies start with a so called intro song with the lyrics praising his heroics in a village/market setting. Next is the villain intro where he is shown slaughtering one or more men with a single blow of an aruval. Then there is the heroine intro song after which she falls in love with the hero though he doesnt reciprocate initially. Then there are scenes where enimity grows between the villain and hero laced with so called punch dialogues by the hero along with loud music and the camera shakes. Then the duet. Then there is the mother-son/sister-brother sentiment after which the villain kidnaps the mother/sister/lover. Then there is a song sequence(Its either an item song or a song that again glorifies the hero as he is on his way to the villain’s hideout)

Climax: The hero single handedly beats up all the henchmen. Punch dialogues fly. The villain comes at the last after all his henchmen are beaten up. He is the only baddy who gives some resistance to the hero and even manages to subdue the hero. The hero is now unconscious. But after hearing the heroine’s cries, he wakes up all powerful and beats up the villain.

Result: The movie is either a hit or a total flop. If its a hit, it is projected as a blockbuster and if it is a flop, it is projected as a hit!

And everybody was shocked when A.R.Rahman himself agreed to compose the music for his latest movie. But no surprises - the music was a super hit while the movie was a super flop!

Sanjay! Are you happy?

Before you begin to read this, let me assure you that I have not watched the older Billa starring Rajnikanth.

Billa, starring Ajithkumar came as a pleasant surprise to me seeing the quality of the technical details like direction, camera, hues etc.

With Ajith occupying almost every frame of the movie along with the Petronas Towers (The latter becomes an irritation after sometime!) he does a neat job with great histrionics. As Billa, the international smuggler, Ajith shines with minimal dialogues and as Velu, the small time crook with a slight sense of humor,he excels! Ajith could have worked more to reduce the pot belly which is visible despite the costume designers efforts. Also, Ajith struggles with the dance sequences.

Prabhu(DSP Jai Prakash) could have been better with most of the serious dialogues drawing laughter from the audience!

Nayantara(Saasha) is in the movie just for the cleavage factor. She turns out to be the stone faced lass looking for revenge throughout the movie. She remains the same in song sequences - expressionless. Namitha(CJ) also could have done a better job or atleast slimmed down to carry the costumes with more grace. Thankfully the plunging necklines were reserved only for Nayantara!

Actors Rahman(Interpol officer Gokulnath and Jagdish) and the inspector(What’s his name?) do justice to their roles. Vishnuvardhan has tried hard to move the audience’s suspicion about the gang’s mole in the police towards the inspector by panning the camera in his direction whenever news about Billa surfaces with the police, but that soon becomes an irritation.

Santhanam tries to provide comic relief and succeeds to some extent.

The costumes(Anu) in the movie are excellent and the concept of power dressing is totally ignored with Ajith sporting ruffled hair and unbuttoned shirt throughout the movie. The costumes are predominantly in black and white and so are the hues. Why is everybody wearing shades(sunglasses) throughout the movie?

The background music(Yuvan Shankar Raja) is excellent and the re-recording is perfect though the song sequences fail to generate interest.

Though there are many loop-holes and the film lacks in logic at places, Billa is a clear winner considering the fact that Indian films rarely have logic in them. That Velu and Saahsa would care for a drink-song-dance sequence when both the police and the thugs are hot on their heels is one such logic that fails. Also, that a tough girl like Saasha would allow herself to get kidnapped is another. Vishnuvardhan could have stayed away from this masala element.

The stunts are breathtaking and that Ajith himself has taken the risks and performed these is commendable. Some stunts look dumb!

As a whole, Vishnuvardhan’s Billa is a neatly packed film that provides the much needed break to Ajithkumar.

Commercial affair. Loop-holes galore!

Cast: In order of importance in the movie

1)Petronas Towers

2)Nirav Shah’s camera (One of the few things that make the movie watchable!)

3)Sunglasses (Yes! There seems to be an epidemic of Conjuctivitis in Malaysia!)

4)Ajithkumar

5)Plunging necklines

6)A bunch of dumb guys - members of the mafia.

7)Equally dumb policeman (Chk out the pen-drive episode!)

I have never been a great fan of films with less or no logic. Infact this is the reason why I hate most Indian movies. Watching select movies like Anbe Sivam, Chennai 600028, Rang De Basanti etc. are the order of my day. I hate movies with masala/dream song sequences, reincarnations, tried and tested ‘formula’ and so called ‘fight choreography’ where the hero flies in the air and beats up ten baddies at the same time.

It has all changed suddenly!

I watched Om Shanti Om, a film with absolutely no logic and fell in love with the movie!

I have watched it twice in two days and plan to watch it today too!

What’s wrong with me!!