|
Banner: AASCAR Films Pvt Ltd
Cast: Kamal Haasan, Napolean, Chandran Bharathi, M.S. Baskar,
Asin, Mallika Sherawat, Jayapradha etc
Music: Himesh Reshamiya
Dialogues: Vennelakanti
Editing: K. Thanika Chalam, Ashmit Kunder
Action: Thiyagarajan, Kanal Kannan
Art: Prabakar, Samir Chanda
Make-Up: Michael West More and Mosher
Cinematography: Ravi Varman
Story: Sujatha and Crazy Mohan
Director: KS Ravi Kumar
Producer: Oscar V Ravichandran
Released On: 13 June 2008
In international cinema, Eddie Murphy is the first man that strikes
anybody's cognition for portraying different roles in same film -
like a tall man, short guy, fat man, lean lad and so on. Here Kamal
Hasan took the avatar as Indian Eddie Murphy. He portrayed 10
different roles in the film as:
Rangaraj Nambi, the Vaishnav Brahmin
Govind, the US Scientist
Fletcher, American Terrorist
Balaram Nadar, the Security Officer
A Japanese Fighter
Kamakshi, the Old Woman
Avatar Singh, the Sikh Singer
Punyakoti, the Dalit leader
Bush, the American President and
Khareemulla, the Tall Man
Padmashri SP Balasubrahmanyam has given voice for some of the above
roles.
Story:
The movie starts with a verbose speech by Kamal Hasan in scientist's
get up. He says that there is relation for every calamity in this
universe quoting 'Chaos Theory' and takes the story to 12th century
AD where Rangaraj Nambi, a Vaishvaite Brahmin was drowned alive in
sea by the Saivaite rule 2nd Kulothunga Chola. (Idea to establish
would be-People used to fight with differences of Vaishnav and
Shaiva theories. And now people are fighting for supremacy!!!-but
that was not established with clarity). The story comes to the
present from then. Govind, a scientist discovers a bio-virus and the
terrorists plan to grab that from him for supremacy. He keeps on
escaping from them taking the virus in a vial. He loses that in a
dramatic situation and moves till Chidambaram in Tamilnadu in search
of that. He meets a girl Lakshmi there and runs along with her
escaping from terrorists and also from police those assume him to be
a terrorist. Finally what happens to the virus and how it gets
deactivated is the theme.
Performances:
Kamal Hasan is omnipresent and omnipotent in this movie. He
successfully played all roles with great dexterity. Once again he
proved the best in adopting the body language of any character.
Mallika Sherwat is for glamour quotient in the film that played the
villain. Jayaprada appears beside Kamal Hasan in Avatar Singh's get
up. She is gorgeous as usual even at that age. Asin is the best
choice for Iyengar Brahmin's role.
Technically the movie is brilliant where camera and make up deserves
first mark. Music and background score follows.
Dialogues are good on a whole but some are funny and childish viz.
(In a fighting episode between an American terrorist and a Japanese
fighter)
American terrorist: Do you remember Hiroshima?
Japanese fighter: Do you remember Pearl Harbor?
Such dialogues dilute the seriousness and bring unwanted laughter in
theaters.
The dialogues for the character Balaram Nadar worked really well for
humor. The film would have been an utter boredom without that
character.
Cinematography efforts were seen to show short old lady and tall
man. American President was shown as an illiterate in one scene
where he asks the meaning of NaCl.
The Tsunami scene is a highlight which was pictured with great
efforts and graphics support. Director KS Ravi Kumar appears in the
climax song 'Loka Nayakudaa..' and on a whole his efforts are seen
in big way.
Analysis:
It is natural to expect that there would be some rebirth concept
involved in the movie when the story opens with 12th century theme
in lead roles. But there is nothing of that sort. It is also
difficult to make out the relation between 12th century story and
the narration that continues from then in scientific way. Confusion
and ambiguity hits every audience with the way the screenplay was
dealt in first 20 minutes. And for mass audiences it would be a
patience-tester. And class audience keep themselves engaged in
drawing conclusions and inferences with their own heads. The
narration goes very serious and hard till the character of Balaram
Nadar, the security officer enters the scene. Laughter starts only
from then with his typical Tamil-Telugu accent.
The entire theme revolves around a bio-virus that is detrimental to
life on earth. Finally how the virus gets deactivated is the climax.
But it is a hard nut to bite for mass audiences. Story part of the
film is definitely weak and it goes without saying that the purpose
of this movie is only to showcase Kamal Hasan in 10 different make
ups which bear no resemblance from each other. Kamal quenched his
desire that way.
It will be a treat for the audiences those wish to watch only the
technical aspects and the heights of make up extravaganza. And for
the audiences those expect a great story and sensible screenplay,
the movie will be a disappointment. The film can be rated better
only for technical efforts and Kamal Hasan's zeal but not the
substance in it.
Why that much hipe for Dasavatharam
Dasavatharam is a Magnum Opus. How? - Oscar Films Private Limited's
90 Crores Magnum opus 'Dasavatharam' has Padmashree Kamal Haasan, a
star of international repute, donning ten different roles ranging
from a 12th Century priest to a genius Bio-Scientist and the
President of United States….. The film is being directed by Mr. K.S.
Ravikumar, who is considered as a mascot of commercial cinemas in
South India whose earlier films like Padayappa, Avvai Shanmugi (The
original version of Chachi 420), Muthu etc., have all created record
collections at the Box Office. Its music is scored by the current
Numero Uno of Hindi film music Mr. Himesh Reshammiya. In addition to
Padmashree Kamal Haasan the movie has Asin, the gorgeous heartthrob
of South India who is now paired up with Amir Khan in 'Ghajini'; the
glamour Goddess Mallika Sherawat; evergreen Jayapradha and other big
names of Tamil and Telugu Film Industry.
DHASAVATHAARAM IS A TESTIMONY FOR MAKE-UP AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN
FILM MAKING - An actor donning ten different roles in a single movie
is a first in the history of world cinema. We call it as one legend
in ten actions which was never before and never again. Ten different
make-ups of Padmashree Kamal Haasan is done by Oscar Award winning
make-up artiste Mr. Michael Westmore whose credits include Mask,
Raging Bull, Blade Runner, Rambo, Star Trek series etc.
VISUALLY STUNNING STUNTS AND ACTIONS - With the script demanding
huge stunts and action sequences, Padmashree Kamal Haasan picked Mr.
Andy Dixon, a world renowned stunt choreographer in the U.S. whose
credits include like Miami Vice, Transporter 2, Ace Ventura-Pet
Detective etc.,
VISUAL EFFECTS MARVEL - The Visual Effects work is a very crucial
element of the movie since the story has many historical, factual
and fantasy images to be recreated with the aid of the computer
images. To achieve the standard and precision of Hollywood visual
effects, we have Mr. Bryan M Jennings, Oscar Award nominee from
Hollywood whose credits include Exorcist, Scary Movie, The Faculty,
Man on Fire, and Vampire in Brooklyn to work on the visual effects
department of the movie as visual effect supervisor.
VISUAL PRESENTATION AT ITS BEST - Cinematography for the movie is
done by Mr. Ravivarman, Ace Cinematographer, whose works include
Armaan, Anniyan (Aparajit) and Vettaiyadu Velliyadu. His creative
and innovating lighting styles and compositions etc. are a treat to
our eyes. This film is shot in super 35 format and world class
Digital process.
EXEMPLARY WORK OF ART DIRECTION - The art direction for the movie
involved large scale sets of historical, mythological, scientific,
ultra modern and deluge concepts with utmost precision. The sets
were ably erected by two eminent art directors Mr. Thotta Tharani
and Mr. Samir Chanda both national award winners for art direction.
To simulate a Tsunami sequence in the movie a 5 acre land was filled
with water which resembled the back waters of a sea and sets were
built amidst water as they are about to be washed away by huge waves
created by the U.S. Team.
Why the making of "Dhasavathaaram" is considered a Herculean Task? -
With the script starting from 12th century India and ending in our
current real life scenario the film was shot in various locations
that includes New York, Washington D.C. Florida, Los Angeles, Tokyo,
Chennai, Chidambaram, Nagappattniam, Kanniya Kumari, Malaysia and
other places in and around Tamilnadu.
Release plan – Dasavatharam is for the first time being made with
1000 prints on the release week which is unheard of in South Indian
cinema and very rare for Indian cinema in general. Dasavatharam is
being released in 40 countries worldwide which is again first time
in Indian cinema.
Academics and Authenticity - A team of Head of Departments,
Professors, Academic and Historians of IIT- Madras, Madras
University, Tanjore university, Archaeological Survey of India and
Department of Culture, Government of Tamilnadu have come forward to
collaborate in the movie, giving their ideas, opinions, feed backs,
research materials and advice for the authenticity of the script.
Filming - First Indian film to aerially shoot a City (Chennai)
Landscape in a helicopter. Since permission for filming a
Metropolitan City has so far been restricted by Government of India.
First Indian movie to shoot in a large scale Water set. (Cover 5
acres of Land). First time a team of Mechanical engineers, welders,
fabricators and other workers working with heavy industrial
engineering background played a major role in creating hydraulic and
pneumatic rigs for certain cinematic effects.
|
