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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 )

Movie -- Kaminey ( Hindi , 2009 )

Director : Vishal Bharadwaj

Cast : Shahid Kapur , Priyanka Chopra

Hiya all.. It's been quite a looong time since my last post.. No particular reason , sometimes I did not have the mood to write a review , or else I was busy ... Call it Writer's block if u insist , lol :)

I have seen quite a few movies over the elapsed time , but never really had the mood to write a detailed review.. God knows why... Well... There is one movie , which has rekindled the desire to blog about movies all over again.... Minutes after watching this movie , after leaving the theater , I could not wait to start typing away and praise this movie like I have never praised a movie before... Ladies and Gentlemen , here's Kaminey !!!!!

Easily one of the finest Hindi movies ever made , Kaminey tells the tale of two identical twins , Charlie and Guddu , both played by Shahid Kapur. Guddu is a calm , socially conscious person , which is established very early in the movie in a Street-theatre dance sequence for AIDS awareness. On the other hand , Charlie is a ruthless rowdy element . Both characters have their own unique speech deficiencies .. Guddu stutters and stammers , while Charlie simply cannot pronounce the letter "s" , and uses "f" instead. both twins do not have contact with each other , following an incident which the director reveals towards the fag end of the movie.

Guddu is all set to marry Sweetie ( Priyanka Chopra ) , who happens to be the sister of a Maratha fanatic politician , who cannot digest the thought that his sister is getting married to a non-Maratha , Guddu .

Charlie on the other hand , is a bookie at the horse races and is involved in a race-fixing mafia , and also the usual hitman variety too. Now Charlie , by sheer accident gets his hands on a drug package worth 10 Crores , and being the quintessential "f(s)hortkut" taker , wants to make the best use of it , but gets mixed up in the deal unknowingly , and has to deal with a drug mafia.

What happens when both their lives collide , one fateful night and its aftermath is what Kaminey is all about... Oh , just in case you feel that this sounds like your usual Bollywood " Bhaiya / Brother " bull crap , you are mistaken.... VERY badly mistaken....

This is nowhere close to Bollywood mainstream cinema .. In fact , I do not think it would be far fetched to say that if the songs were removed , and the love sequences between Guddu and Sweetie were to be toned down a little bit , this is as good as any top notch Hollywood or European Crime thriller.

Beautifully executed , this takes Hindi cinema to the next level... one in which "Crime" does not necessarily mean Big-Bad guys with AK-47's , with pretty young girls as arm-candy , the quintessential irritating sidekick and other cliches... This is completely different...

Kaminey is a non-linear movie , and where most non-linear movies fail , is the sheer stupidity in which the story is sequenced on-screen , with scenes placed as if the Director had just selected them randomly. However , in Kaminey's case , this is its biggest achievement. Each sequence never seems out of place , even though sometimes they appear out-of-context to the current scene , but later on you realize the motive behind this sequencing.

The movie might appear to be a wee bit slow moving towards the middle portion of the first half , but I felt that this was a beautiful ploy executed deliberately by Vishal Bharadwaj. He builds up the story a bit slowly , and by the time the interval occurs , you are left in a state of sheer excitement . Sheer genius I must say !! The second half boasts of one of the fastest screenplays I have ever come across in Indian movies. It just blows you away.

Acting is one aspect in which things can go really horribly wrong , especially if such a strong script is not supported adequately by the players... but again Kaminey scores here as well.. Priyanka Chopra is really good in her role as Sweetie , the girl who dares to defy her Goonda/Politician/Marathi fanatic brother , played with aplomb by Amole Gupte . The supporting cast too has come up with a commendable effort . Even characters which might not really be strong as far as their value to the movie is concerned , have been enacted beautifully . The Bengali gangster duo , the Marathi's sidekick , the corrupt Narcotics Branch Cops and other such characters all have been portrayed in the most efficient manner by the supporting cast. Of particular mention , is Charlie's partner-in-crime , Mikhail . I really dunno the name of the actor , but , boy , he was ace ...

Now.. Shahid Kapur.. What a brilliant performance by this young actor.. For all those who thought Shahid was only good at chocolate faced - lover boy stuff , you can eat your own words after watching Kaminey .. A scorcher of a performance , in every sense of the word. As Guddu , the calm , timid guy , Shahid plays the character with remarkable ease . However , it is his portrayal of the ruthless Charlie which stands out..

The best scene in the movie has to be that short sequence in which the Marathi Neta and Mikhail meet , and Mikhail converses in a drunken stupor , and the neta plays along.. Beautiful !!

Pankaj Kapur , one of India's finest yet under-rated actors , had starred in Vishal Bharadwaj's movies , Maqbool , The Blue Umbrella and a short film , Blood Brothers . He must be a proud father now , watching Shahid shine like never before , under the same Director.

Music by Vishal Bharadwaj is extremely good. I never got an opportunity to listen to Kaminey's music before entering the theatre.. But the background score and the music are terrific. " Dhan Te Nan " blew me away , watching it on the best screen in Chennai ( Sathyam RDX ).. This song just vibrates with so much energy , you simply cannot resist humming it to yourself after getting back home.

Technically this movie is top notch and like I said , on par with any Hollywood / European brand of Thrillers.

Vishal Bharadwaj has never denied the fact that Quentin Tarantino's movies have an influence on his ideology. This is evident in Kaminey , in the camera angles , the sequencing of scenes , the type of background music etc. Any Tarantino devotee like me will easily spot the similarity . However , with all due respect , Tarantino IS Tarantino... Vishal Bharadwaj is no less , but not quite the same league.

Shahid Kapur's performance is the best thing about the movie . He has proved his worth in Kaminey. However , I feel his next release " Dil Bole Hadippa " might be burdened with too many expectations after people are stunned by Kaminey.. " Dil Bole Hadippa " , I personally feel is not an ideal follow up from Shahid's side , to Kaminey. This is what I judge from the promos , the usual Yash-Raj fare , but am hoping it turns out to be good . At least for Shahid's sake.

Kaminey is a definite must watch for any Indian fan of Tarantino's movies . For those expecting juvenile stuff , the likes of " Singh is King " , "Partner" , "Welcome" etc , please stay away. This is not for you , sorry amigo ...

Overall , Kaminey is an absolute scorcher . A small request .. Please do watch it in the Theatres .. Sensible , top notch movies like these need to be encouraged . If not for anything , please do visit the Theatre and watch it just for the "Dhan Te Nan" song.. The experience.. WOW...

I will go with 4.5 out of 5 for Kaminey , India's best Action/thriller I have seen so far. vishal Bharadwaj , take a bow !!! You rock ... May his tribe increase :)

Verdict : 4.5 / 5 - Simply Uber... oops.. Fimply Uber !!!

DIRTY HARRY - REVIEW

Dirty Harry (English,1971)

Director : Don Siegel

Cast : Clint Eastwood , Andrew Robinson

This movie is considered to be one of the best action movies ever made. I thought this would be one of those mindless movies , which have a dozen fights thrown in , and endless chase sequences . But,boy, I was in for a big surprise...

Harry Callahan ( Clint Eastwood) is a no-nonsense Police Officer in San Francisco , and his antics earn him the title "Dirty Harry" among his colleagues . There is a maniac called Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) , who snipes and kills innocent victims, and leaves a ransom note at the scene of the crime. Our man , Dirty harry is assigned the task of catching hold of Scorpio.

If there is one thing about the movie which hits you smack on the face , it has to be the air of machismo about it. The ruthless character of Harry is established right in the first few scenes itself, where he meets the Mayor. The sheer ruthlessness of Harry will keep you interested all through the movie.

The story as such has nothing much to boast about and is rather simple. But the movie's greatest strength lies in the Director's ability to take such a simple story , which might be considered not-so-suitable for an action movie , and transform it into a brilliant flick.

As the movie progressed I was overwhelmed by the brute character of Harry . Clint Eastwood is brilliant as "Dirty Harry".There is this scene in which he stands and watches a school-bus , from atop a bridge. It just made me clap my hands in sheer delight.

Nihilistic in every sense of the word, Eastwood's character in "Dirty Harry" , is such a feast to fans of the Action genre , till date.

The screenplay is very fast and the movie as a whole is very slick. There are hardly any scenes which give you any leeway to get bored. The basic plot is not dragged , and keeps you hooked to the movie , without letting you go into a "Er.. What's happening ?" mode.

The character of Scorpio has been played to perfection by Andrew Robinson. The maniac sniper has to be one of the best on-screen villains I have come across in a long time. There is this superb scene in which he kidnaps children in a school-bus , and tries to entertain them by singing
"Row,Row,Row your boat.." . But his happiness is short lived , as he encounters our man Dirty Harry along the way.

The "Do I feel lucky ?" dialogues have become part of cinematic history , and many attempts have been made to spoof them. But , Clint Eastwood IS Clint Eastwood , PUNK !!! This dialogue which comes twice in the movie , will make you fall in love with the movie , mark my words.

Every frame with Clint has machismo written large on it. This is what I call a " Guy movie" . There is something about the movie which makes the on-screen display of ruthlessness , as infectious as the flu. I don't know why , but after watching it , I felt like bashing up the next living creature I come across.

The action sequences are thankfully very sensible , something which I don't come across in many action movies. Violence is portrayed only on few occasions, but when it does show-up , man , it will sweep you away.

This is easily one of the best movies I have come across , across all genres. My verdict for this movie will be 4.5 out of 5. If you are a guy , you got to watch this for the spirit of machismo , which it showcases so brilliantly. Watch this one with a group of male friends , with some beer and snacks thrown in , and am sure you will love it ... PUNK!!

VERDICT : Simply Uber (Ultimate) 4.5 / 5