Endhiran

Endhiran takes Tamil cinema where it has never been before. Shankar has dared to tread on grounds that have thus far been considered exclusively Hollywood territory. The subject, the story and narration have been handled well given that robotics isn't what you expect to be classified as entertainment in Indian movies. With the kind of team that has been assembled, Shankar ensures that when you walk out of the theater, you would have experienced a technically brilliant show that is thoroughly professional - definitely a first in Indian movies. The movie also shines just enough light on the potentials of humanoids and even touches upon the ethics involved thereof, without getting too technical. We will miss you Sujatha, the CTO of Tamil cinema! And finally, it does not get preachy as Shankar's movies traditionally do, avoiding the 'a social issue - a vigilante - societal change' path. Kudos to Shankar. And finally, Rajinikanth sizzles in 2 of the three roles - Chitti and Chitti gone wild. A R Rahman's music somehow fails to register. Yet again.

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Nearly 24 hrs after watching the movie, the one question that keeps coming up in my mind is, did it really require Rajinikanth?

Shankar has come up with a plot that requires extensive graphics and animations to wow the audience. Doing justice to capture this kind of a story called for a huge budget. Make no mistake, this is big. Even by Shankar's standards. But quite frankly, Indian audiences will not be wow-ed by graphics alone anymore. Yes, we grew up on a staple diet of Ramanand Sagar/B R Chopra's interpretations of the nagasthras and brahmasthras on Sunday mornings. But post Jurassic Park, when extinct reptiles were resuscitated on screen, the jaw doesn't drop as it used to for good graphics. The director and producer were compelled to rope in enormous star power and pursue aggressive marketing to recover the kind of money that was sunk in. So, strictly from a business stand point, this movie demanded riding piggy back on brand Rajini to make it financially viable. Which also explains casting Aishwarya Rai for an eye candy role that anybody could have played. [Not to be misunderstood as a compliment for her histrionic capabilities.] Or the elaborate and extensive music launch and trailer release, for that matter.

At the same time, the subject is completely new and alien to Tamil cinema. While it is a bold and welcome step in a different direction with the potential to take Indian movie making to a higher technical plane, Rajini as a robotics/artificial intelligence expert turns out to be somewhat less than convincing. Dot. Shankar and K. Maran spread jamakalams, laid out banana leaves and sprinkled water. And then served gourmet pizza and perfectly done pasta. While the guests would have been justified in expecting a 3 course South Indian meal, complete with vadai, payasam and appalam.

I like the man as the next guy. But Rajini has a certain image and charm that have been cultivated over the years. And these made him the super star that he is today. So when a Rajini movie gets announced, certain minimum expectations are rightly set amidst the fan base. But casting the man in roles that take him away from his image for purely business reasons, in my opinion, is not justified. Would you watch a game of ice hockey even if Sachin Tendulkar played forward? Perhaps Vikram would have been a better choice; sufficient yet convincing. Reminds me of a Dilbert comic strip.

Debates apart, it will now be established that Tamil cinema has the clout to afford the best movie technicians and still make money. Take that Karan Johar, SRK and the rest of the Khan gang! Yay! But personally I'd prefer a "typical" Rajini movie and get my CG/FX fix from some Hollywood flick.