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Movie : Endhiran


Language : Tamil , 2010

Genre : Sci-Fi

Director : Shankar

Cast : Rajinikanth , Aishwarya Rai

Well , what can I say . It has been a long time since I blogged , and am happy to be back with a movie very close to my heart . It does not get any bigger than this.. India’s biggest director , biggest superstar and the world’s most beautiful woman , with the country’s best musician …

Endhiran , starts off with a scientist Vaseegaran ( Rajinikanth ) , creating a humanoid robot called Chitti ( Rajinikanth ) , aiming to deploy such robots in the Army to help the forces . Things seem to be smooth , until Chitti is injected with an emotions module , which makes him similar to any other human being . Chitti then falls in love with Vaseegaran’s fiancée Sana ( Aishwarya ) , and falls into wrong hands , what happens henceforth is what Endhiran is all about.


Movies of this genre definitely warrant creative liberties . But the director has taken the term to new levels altogether . With Chitti talking with mosquitoes , helping Sana with her medical exams , shooting bullets from his fingers , this packs a punch in every sense of the word.


What will make this flick appeal to all , is the sheer magnitude of the project itself. Technically superior to any other Indian movie ever , this is one hell of a ride. Family audiences will devour the no holds barred entertainment on screen , lap it up twice , thrice and over and over again.


Comedy seems to be a bit of a letdown here , with Santhanam not doing much to set your ribs tickling with laughter . It is Chitti’s artificial intelligence , with some witty dialogues which make the viewer smile and laugh at times . Sample the scene where he teases a police constable who questions him for driving a car without a license .


The plot is not quite complex and sticks to Shankar’s fairly simple and straightforward style of storytelling . Nothing much to confuse the viewer , who is busy dropping his jaws in awe at the brilliance which unfolds on screen . Nothing to tear your brains out , a simple plot is what makes this one tick , and tick like a clock running at the speed of light , in typical Robot terms .


Negative characters are quite a few , with Danny Denzongpa playing the scheming Scientist with an eye on Chitti , hoping to turn him into a weapon of mass destruction . Sabu Cyril makes a guest appearance as a link between Danny and a global terrorist conglomerate .


However , the Robot Chitti is the darkest character . Scenes where he lusts for Sana highlight the extreme negative aspect of the character .


Acting by Rajinikanth , is something which is a big deviation from his usual movies . The gross looking hair , thanks to long hours spent in the process of creating Chitti , the solemn looking scientist Vaseegaran , does not offer the Superstar much scope to showcase his acting skills. He comes up with a subdued , yet dignified portrayal . Full marks here .


Sana , played by the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai , is a major driver to the plot , even though she does not have anything much to do on screen . She looks like a zillion dollars , and radiates beauty like never before , amply helped by some stunning costumes and truly exquisite locales for the dances. Looking at her in the “ Kaadal Anukkal “ song , almost made me fall in love with Mrs. Junior B . And am sure I was not the only guy in the audience , whose heart skipped a beat watching her blaze the screen with her Goddess like looks.


Santhanam and Karunas play Vaseegaran’s bumbling assistants , with an unexpected change of character . Danny Denzongpa does decent justice to his role as the villain , but I felt this fine actor of yesteryear could have been used better .


However , it is Chitti who steals the show , especially in the second half . How his character and mindset changes in no time , calls for applause . He carries the plot on his silicon shoulders , and it is no small burden , my friend . There are so many things that could have gone wrong in the movie , but Chitti’s antics overshadow these flaws . An absolute treat to watch .


The best thing about this would be the special effects and technology used . Scenes of such epic proportions , like the one where hordes of Rajni come together to form a Robot Army blasting everything in their path , has taken Tamil , rather Indian cinema to places never seen before . A definite pat on the back to Shankar’s vision and confidence to pull it off.


On the flip side . Few scenes could have been done away with , as they add NIL value to the plot and story . And for a diehard Rajni fan , it would come as a small disappointment , as this lacks the legendary Rajni stamp , to a large extent . Not many punch dialogues , not many unique mannerisms , as expected by the fans .

I never imagnied in my wildest dreams , that Rajinikanth would run away from a baddie who tries to rape his girlfriend . That's something Rajini "can't" do..

Something which would dampen the expectations to a small extent , but these are covered up with spectacular scenes on screen . I had to stop myself from jumping like a maniac , when a giant Robot consisting of many Chitti’s rises from the ground and stands in inimitable Rajni style and kicks a truck in its way , like David Beckham blasting a free kick into the goal post .


Music by Rahman is definitely not his best , but is pretty good no doubt , supported by stunning sets and huge production values in the song sequences . The background score could have been better and can be termed as average at best .


Shankar deserves maximum credit for his impeccable vision and guts to embark on a project of such proportions . And he has pulled it off , friends , using the Silicon Singam to maximum effect .


Some scenes will strain the vocal chords of fans , especially after the debacle of his earlier "Kuselan". The one where Chitti saves Sana from being raped , after charging himself with electricity in the middle of a train track , or the one where Rajni the Robot appears as God incarnate , in a sequence where Sana objects to loud music. These are signature Thalaivar moments . But as a Rajni devotee , I wish there were more of these . But I felt Shankar has taken this for a larger audience across geographic locations , and maybe that’s what made him cut down on the “Macho-Rajni” factor to some extent.

Shades of the classic vintage Rajni in the second half , reminiscent of Alex Pandi , will go down well with Tamil cinema fans

I will go with 3.5 / 5 as a normal movie watcher and 2.5 / 5 as a Rajni devotee . Decide which category you belong to . It does not matter , because even if you are not a Rajni fan , you have every reason to watch it. Because , you can either hate Rajni or love Rajni , but you simply cannot ignore him . Endhiran is a must watch , at least once , for its technical brilliance , if not Rajinikanth’s magic on screen . Mind it !!


Verdict : 3.5 / 5 ( Must watch )