Petta Review: Here is our Thaialivar!

Rajinikanth’s first dialogue in the movie was “Naan Veezhven Endru Ninaithaayo!” meaning, do you think I will fall? Thalaiva! You never will. There is good reason to it. Just go and see the movie.! If at 69 he can put this much time and effort into a movie, why shouldn’t he be the superstar? In an era of endless battle between Thala and Thalapathy, this is Thalaivar showing why he is the king of the mountain. Because, behind the punch dialogues and style statements is  an honest, hardworking man who cares very much about giving his fans the best entertainment he can. And boy were we entertained! Frame to frame Petta is a celebration of the Rajini we all know and love.

Petta tells the story of a hostel warden who wins everyone’s heart with his charisma and yet there is a mystery around this stranger whose past has come back to haunt him. Behind the romantic, music loving, playful and cheerful warden lies a dark secret and endless sorrow. What would happen if he decides to embrace that side again? If the Plot of Petta sounds similar to Baasha then the entire movie is a tribute to the great Rajini movies we celebrate even today. But where Karthik Subburaj succeeds is everything falls in line with the script and feels fresh which doesn’t reduce this movie as a glorified tribute show.

How do you manage to look this fresh even at 69? Every adulation that his co stars tell him in the movie feels genuine. He sings, he dances, he fights, he delivers punch dialogues, he romances and most importantly, he entertains. In a movie that has a lot of seasoned actors Rajinikanth simply stands tall . He is pretty much in every frame but it never feels like it is too much. The crowd scream at every dialogue, every gesture and everything in between. This is Rajinikanth at his imperious best. Forget the vengeful action part, such was his performance in the scenes with Simran that I am now craving for a full length Romantic Comedy with him at the lead. That would be something.

There is much less space for any other actor  to shine in this Rajini extravaganza. Nawazuddin Siddique and Vijay Sethupathi are two of the finest actors in the country right now. So there is a sense of injustice that this movie does nothing to showcase their enormous talent. Nawazuddin Siddique’s Singhar Singh may not be a Mark Antony but he does manage to carve a niche for himself as vengeful, calculating and sneaky. That performance at the end of his sister’s baby shower shows all you need to know about the man that the whole of India celebrates as their best character actor. Vijay Sethupati would have done this role with his eyes closed. There are flashes of his acting here and there but his fans will feel right to have been let down. But watch the movie closely and you will see how much Rajini admires Vijay Sethupathi. Of the heroines it’s Simran who manages more footage and their chemistry shines bright.

If Iraivi was his finest directorial movie, then this movie should project Karthick Subburaj into the big leagues. If Shankar was more about trying to utilize Rajini’s marketability and Pa Ranjith’s was all about trying to get the actor out of a superstar, then Karthick’s is the perfect cocktail. There is an intelligent film maker inside a massive Rajini fan. He doesn’t just capture Rajinism but serves it to us in a 7 course meal. He is unfazed by the challenge of trying to handle the superstar’s enormous stardom. Better yet, he utilises it as a vehicle to make a ride that Rajini fans 20 years for (Padayappa, the last quintessential Thalaivar movie was released in 1999). The inevitable Karthik Subburaj twist happens in the climax and when it happens, you would not have seen it coming. Some double cross that and by who!!! The technical team is excellent too and especially Anirudh and Thiru.

If I have a bone to pick with then it has got to be about the little surprises and potentials that the directors never really explored in the movie. Be it the romance of Rajini and Simran or having Rajini and Vijay Sethupathi in the same screen or the Rajini and Nawazuddin Siddique coming face to face, there was so much potential to be explored. But everything was swept aside in the Thalaivar Wave. As a fan it is not really a complaint but if handled a little better the movie would have been a true critic choice masterpiece.

Why do I care? I went for a Superstar movie and I got one. I came back happy. Isn’t that all we want? Isn’t that his No 1 motive. To entertain his fans? His final dialogue in the movie was “Indha attam poduma kozhandai?” meaning, is this enough? No Thalaiva.! Our hunger is now greater than ever. You have showed that there is no bad time to be Rajinified. Please don’t stop now!

Enthiran Review – Watch it & be proud of being an Indian

Actor Ramya Krishnan, when asked about the Rajni-Ash combo said ‘I’m here to watch Rajni and that’s enough for me’. It looks like she’s right. Because in ‘Enthiran – The Robot’, it’s the superstar all the way. For hardcore Rajni fans like me, the 2 year fasting is over and we are hungry for a Rajni feast. Ask and you shall be given seems to be Shankar’s motto & he has given a movie that not only stamps his authority, but also weaves Rajni magic throughout.

Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajni), a scientist introduces us to Chitti - The Robot, his look alike and a friendly robot. Dr. Vasi has ambitions to induct number of Chitti’s in the Indian army and hence teaches Chitti, human emotions which backfire when Chitti starts to develop romantic interest towards Sana (Ash), Vasi’s girlfriend. This creates a singularly unique love triangle. When Chitti was rejected by the army and banished by Vasi, he is rechristened Chitti 2.0 by Vasi’s enemy & former mentor Dr. Bohra who induces destructive programs into Chitti 2.0. Chitti kidnaps Sana and what follows next is an experience of the 1^st order in Indian Cinema. See it to believe it.

I have to applaud Mr. Shankar. I’ve been a critic of his seemingly unwanted expenditure of his films. But Enthiran was different. When you look at the movie, you know that the money that was spent is justified. The graphics and locations were perfect and every micro meter has been carefully handled. The CG work, especially the final 20 minutes is the best India has seen in its films. But I must admit that I felt that some of it were too much and could have been slicker. The final sequence was, in my opinion, one for kids and families and the mosquito mode scenes were unwanted.

Super Star Rajnikanth. He carries the movie on his shoulders and does it well. I liked the way he let Shankar realize his dream and not impose himself. If one was surprised by the simple introduction to Rajni in the movie, they would be even more taken back when Dr. Vasi resorts to fleeing with his girlfriend when she was attacked by a rogue in a beach. It’s in the role of Chitti that he shows his full powers. Be his comic timing, style or action he lives it up. But where he excels is when he transforms into Chitti 2.0. He’s always comfortable doing negative roles and in this, he brings all his villainous variety into play. His black sheep mimic was the cherry on top. As a critic you must say that in a movie scripted for Kamal Hassan, Rajni has certainly not let his best friend down. He has incepted his own style to it without affecting the soul of the movie. Well done Thalaiva.

Ash looks gorgeous and shares more space than any other Shankar movie heroines. Danny is adequate though I expected more from him. Rest of the cast is hardly noticeable and insignificant. A.R. Rahman’s music is not up his standards. May be he was too busy but this is just not his best. Technical crew of Enthiran has lived up to their billing and the result is a near perfect technical presentation that we see on screen.

The movie has be to seen and applauded for the effort that has been put to create it. You have to admire Shankar for this. He also drives home the message about now pathetic humans can be with all their so called emotions. Most importantly, you have to admire for the fact that without Rajni, this movie would not go so far revenue wise. A producer, no matter what kind of background he has, has to get his money back and Rajni has proved that he’s the safest bet yet again. In the business of cinema, not one can guarantee a profit for 160cr investment except him. That’s why he is the best. I liked the fact that he has underplayed his role to allow more space for Shankar. If Shivaji was a Rajni film directed by Shankar, Enthiran is vice versa.

Enthiran is a complete package, an experience that needs to be cherished. This one is for every Indian to see what they can do. Mr Shankar has just realized his dream, when are you going to???