Dasavatharam : A Review

I unwind here, having witnessed His ten incarnations; having been mesmerized by the fact that historians could mistake the name ‘Kamal’ for ‘Kalki’.

Movies are usually a treat for the eyes and some of them, for the ears. But this one’s a treat for the brain.
To start with, the movie is the work of a subtle genius, whose gray cells, in his neurological slumber, did an overly optimal information traversal of reality and fiction. The amount of information packed in this movie makes it worth watching over and over again. I cannot resist sharing what I’ve discovered in this movie, that, perhaps, some of those who read this, have missed.

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

These bold additions were made after the initial post upon suggestions by friends.

Let’s start with the character of Rangaraja Nambi. I loved the way he says ‘Shungham thavirtha Cholanin peranidam garvam thavirkachhol’ (Tell the Grandson of the King Chola who rid the people of taxes, to rid himself of his arrogance). The pronunciation is perfect, exactly the way an Iyengar brahmin would speak. There is a subtle beauty that deserves appreciation when an onlooker throws a stone that hits Nambi’s forehead, causing blood to ooze out in the shape of his ‘Naamam’, which he gets back after it is wiped off. The little boy, raising his hands and swinging his palms and telling his father, ‘Sollidungo pa’ is cute. In fact, during Sandhyavandhanam (a brahmin’s daily prayer), you raise your hands and swing your palms inwards when saying ‘Savithrim avahayami’ (I invite Savithri). The way the boy swings his palms outwards indicate that he means the opposite (Nishkasayami – to reject). The play of words that Kamal exploits to tease the King when he says, “Look how my Hari could make you utter indefinitely, the words ‘Hari Om’” makes you go jumping after the little pause when you are trying to figure it out. Then, of course, there is the portrayal of Garuda. He appears, perhaps in an effort to save Nambi, but must retreat to save himself from the King’s archers. I wonder if you noticed the fact that at the end of the movie, when the statue of Lord Vishnu throws itself back to the shore, Nambi’s hands (or the remains of it), can still be seen folded in devotion. A few things that I didn’t like about Nambi is his ‘Aalavanthaan’-like expression when he fights the soldiers and the look of vengeance on the face of an Iyengar brahmin. And also the fact that he didn’t know of the existence of -3.

Now I’ll move on to Christine Christian Fletcher. His entry in the movie is mind-boggling. I’m not able to think of a single Hollywood actor who might have done better justice to this role. It’s hard to believe that a 54-year old man can modulate his voice with such grace and alter his accent with such ease. I like the way he says “Whoa Whoa… FBI”, “What the hell… You want to see a bachelor die?” and can’t forget the stunning accent with which he says “Chi – Dam – Bram”. Earlier, when he ends up tracking the wrong car while chasing Govind, Fletcher is heard shouting above the noise of the helicopter and he gives a stunningly original American accent to his voice. When he takes Kalifullah’s family hostage, he sends the young boy to open the door to let Govind in, which for some reason appeals to me as being an intelligent move. The way his death due to the virus is portrayed is awesome for its special effects. The chief negative with Fletcher is that he appears short for an American in a lot of scenes. Another negative is that his make-up seems a little inconsistent and his face is too big due to the make-up.

There is a rumor that is doing its rounds which I dearly like to believe. It says that each role in the movie that Kamal has portrayed has some correlation or the other to an avataar of Vishnu. In Nambi’s case, it is said that he is related to Vishnu’s Matsya avataar, because he is the first ‘avataar’ to be shown (I have ignored Govind here, but if you wish to challenge me, I could say Nambi is the first ‘avataar’ chronologically). The rumors also go on to say that Fletcher is Parashurama. This seems slightly more plausible to me. The reasons offered are (1) Parashurama was fair in complexion, (2) he killed kshatriyas without reason (even after he has sought his revenge on Sahasrarjuna), (3) he killed his own mother (although Fletcher kills his wife and not his mother). More on these correlations later.

Let me talk about Narahashi now. This was one role that took a while to make out that it was Kamal. The make-up is perfect and the accent is even better. His accent is almost as though he has popped out of a Japanese anime. The way he says “Gobindo Ramasamy?” to the Japanese policeman and “Thank you very much” (in Japanese) upon being informed that his sister Yuka is dead, is amazing. And some cool stunts at the end give the finishing touches to this excellently carved role. A negative about this role is that it does not seem to be required in the story. But then, since the story uses the Butterfly effect as a sly excuse, this can be pardoned. Narahashi is said to be related to Vishnu’s Narasimha avataar. This too seems a little plausible because of (1) the similarity in the names, (2) the fact that Narasimha too didn’t use any weapons in a fight, (3) the fact that Narasimha appears and saves his devotees at the direst of their needs (Narahashi saves Govind from the Tsunami just in time by hauling him into a boat).

Next comes George W. Bush. At first appearance, the make-up seemed to be a let-down. But his accent and the style which closely resembled the real Bush was “fantastic”. As if the biggest mockery of all times, the fact that George W. Bush, the American President didn’t know what NaCl was, was not enough, there was more for the taking when he asks “Can’t we use a nuclear weapon on it? Are you sure?”. I’m not sure if the way he sometimes bites his upper lip in the movie is characteristic of the real Bush, but if it is, then more marks to Kamal. In the end, the way he walks to one end of the stage and turns back, waves and walks to speak to the audience in the Nehru stadium is so like the real Bush that it thrills you to the core. After the movie and during the credits, he is seen dancing with the local Chennai crowd (dancing in the local style) which adds to it all. The only negative was the make-up which again makes his face too big.

And now, the role that most people agree was the best – the unbelievably hilarious and immediately attractive Balram Naidu. My ears are still echoing with the sounds of some of his dialogs which I quote here – the characteristic “Ah? Apparao…”, “Enthana degrees irukkudhu. Nee enna terrific scientista ille scientific terrorista?”, “Apparao… Narasimha Rao… Raoda Raoa co-operate pannunga. RAWoda CIAve co-operate pannudhu” and “Villain kitta vial kadaicha next step enna? Ah… backdoora? Ungala ille…”. Hundred marks to the background score when he meets Srinivasulu and learns that he is Telugu. The way he utters the name of the terrorist groups ‘Lashkar-e-Toiba’, ‘Al-Qaeda’ and ‘ULFA’ is funny. On being asked how to question 200 odd people by Apparao, he says “First question the odd people”. And over the phone, to his boss, he says “They are downstairs sir. I am upstairs sir. At once sir.” I might have been clinging to my stomach laughing on these two. But all in all, his excellent and funny Telugu accent mixed with his clear pronunciation of Sanskrit words were ingenious.

Kamal also plays Avtaar Singh in this movie, a Punjabi pop singer. His Hindi accent is fantastic and he even speaks Punjabi in the movie. The way he fondly calls his wife ‘Ranjithe’ is impressive. His dialog about his faith in God carried by some good camera work that shows his reflection on Guru Gobind’s portrait talking, was eye-catching. His big eyes, strong arms with plentiful hair on them were typically Punjabi and shows how much thought has been put into every frame. His negative too, is the fact that he isn’t really required. I will use this space to also appreciate Kamal’s performance in singing the song ‘Oh Oh Sanam’. The starting few lines are truly honey to the ears.

The funniest role apart from Balram Naidu was the grandma Krishnaveni. Her dialog with Balram Naidu on the walkie-talkie which she assumes to be a swollen cell phone is still ringing in my ears. Kamal has done an outstanding job speaking as the grandma. It is too difficult to believe that it’s actually Kamal who’s speaking as her. When she is cursed by a member of the monastery who calls her a ‘mad cow’ when she is on her way to see her ‘Perumal’, and later says “Onnum illa, Perumal kitta pongonnu sonnen”, the grandma retorts, “Nokkapparam thaanda poven! Brahmahathhi!”. Her dialog at the end of the movie is very touching. I was trying to imagine Kamal at the dubbing theater with the film running in silent and Kamal voicing the piece. The way she blinks too often, characteristic of an old woman and the way she adjusts her saree in one of the songs is very impressive. The chief negative about grandma was the fact that she is too active and jumpy for a 95-year old grandma and the way she is portrayed climbing on to the shoulders of passers-by to get to her ‘Perumal’ is a black mark on the screenplay. Grandma is said to be related to the Varaha avataar, who (1) in the Mukundha song actually plays the Varaha avataar behind the screen in a puppet show. But what is most intriguing is the fact that an alias of Varaha is Bhuvaraghan.

My favorite role in the movie however, was Boovaragan Poovaragan (Although I wonder why the foreign language DVD shows the subtitles with the name ‘Boovaragan’). The way he speaks is hair-raising and impossible to believe. It lays more emphasis on how diverse the roles played by Kamal have been. Here, I will get back to the rumor thread. This is by far, the most plausible one. In fact I am supremely confident that Boovaragan Poovaragan is related to Lord Krishna because (1) he is dark in complexion, (2) he saves Asin from the fat contractor, (3) he dies when some sharp object pierces his leg (Lord Krishna died when a hunter mistook his leg for a deer and shot it with an arrow), (4) the name of the hunter who killed Lord Krishna is ‘Jara’ and (5) Lord Krishna was brought up by Yashoda and Nanda, who was the head of a tribe of cowherds. The way he looks up and back at P.Vasu and says “Yes”, when asked “Are you a universal hero that you imagine you can save this world single-handedly?” drew whistles from the crowd. His death at the end is sad but adds value to his character.

Khalifulla was a bit of a surprise. His make-up was a big let-down – such a fair-skinned son for someone like Nagesh? But again, the way he speaks exactly like a Muslim is very good. His innocence and his height are an interesting contrast. I am eagerly waiting to find out how Kamal managed to make himself so tall. The conversation between him and Govind when he assumes that Balram Naidu is Kamal’s ‘machan’ in the police station is quite funny.

Finally, the story-teller Govindarajan. He took ownership for all the puns and cleverly woven dialogs. Starting with “Yanaikkum seri, manidhanukkum seri, madham piditthu ponal, thollai thaan”, “Enna madhiri oru muttal scientistum Hanu madhiri tappichhu pona oru Korangum thaan ulagathaye atti padikkira AIDS noyikku karanam…”, “… in a language that you best understand, Money.”, “Ungala madhiri yaravadhu Telugu kaaranga vandhu vaazha veippanga”, “Avaru periyarellam illenga, aana kalignar”, “Theettu illenga, heat”, “Ungalukku vena unga Perumal mukkiyama irukkalaam, aana enakku manushanga thaan mukkiyam” and finally “Unga paattikkum seri, unga bhaghawanukkum seri – just not there”.

The amount of information packed in this movie is infinite. These are some of the subtle points in the movie.

1. Ramasamy Naicker is the original name of Periyar, who was a well-known atheist. Kamal says “Avaru periyarellam illenga, aana kalignar”. I am still puzzled by exactly what he means here.

2. I personally imagine “Mr. Q” is a hint at Quattrochi. He is shown being immediately arrested by the Indian police upon arrival at the Chennai airport. Now what’s the metaphor?

3. In numerous places, strong theism is projected. Govind gets a tiny blood wound on his forehead, resembling a ‘Kumkum’. He later falls from a bridge into a truck on which the words “Sri Rama Jayam” is written. Mallika Sherawat gets a gunshot right in the middle of her forehead which effectively shows Fletcher giving her a ‘Kumkum’. Although there are a number of unrealistic escapades that Asin and Kamal share, ‘Perumal’ is along with them all through their journey. Avtaar Singh does his show well despite not having the medicines, because ‘Perumal’ is with him then.

4. All religions are portrayed in the movie by Kamal – Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism.

5. This is a movie where the date and time of happening of all the events are significant and Kamal does extremely well to show this. Quoting one of the dialogs, “Nalaikku Jaraoda maganukku pirandha naal. Ungolada kadavulukkum nalaikku pirandha naal.” which is said to Boovaragan.

6. Napolean says to Kamal, “Avalai amangali akkadhe” (don’t make her a widow) and Asin is shown dying just before Kamal loses his breath, hence having died as a ‘Sumangali’.

7. The ‘Andal’ Asin trips on the same statue upon which the 12th century Asin hit her head and died.

8. Boovaragan is called an “padikkatha medhai” (unlettered genius) in the movie. In his real life, Kamal is uneducated.

9. The movie actually teaches some common facts to the audience. Two of these that I was not aware of before include the fact that the bones in a corpse jerk and rise up when burnt and also the fact that you don’t need money to call the cops from a pay phone.

10. The Church of South India is shown in this movie. Also projected is the fact that around 200 people escaped from the Tsunami as they were inside a Mosque. I quote from the web:

This brings us to December 26, 2004, when the terrifying tsunami wrought destruction throughout the coastlines of southern Asia. The town of Vailankanni was not spared the destruction. However, as the waves engulfed the town, a Mass was taking place in the shrine with 2,000 pilgrims in attendance.

Although, it left the entire town in shambles, killing thousands, the deadly waters did not enter the shrine, and everyone present was spared. According to the BBC, the shrine was the only building to escape the devastation.

Again, some strong theism here.

11. An interesting piece of reasoning is that the idol of Lord Vishnu which was thrown into the sea in the 12th century, is what disturbed the sea bed by a small amount and this caused the Tsunami to occur in 2004. This idea is interesting because on the one hand, it projects theism (God helps man even when man does not return the favor), if you look at the idol as God. But it also projects atheism, as it means that it was not God or any supernatural force, but only human actions that led to the Tsunami that rescued the world from destruction.

12. An extra-ordinary revelation from Marlin Jar points out the fact that the name of the singer who sung the song “Kalli Mattum Kandal” is Hariharan. And the two gods over which Napolean and Kamal fight are ‘Hari’ and ‘Haran’. Lucky coincidence?

Others in the movie too are worth commending (and criticizing). Sai Ram does a good job but has over-acted at many places. If you figured out what Govind swears at him when he says “Sorry, Govind”, full marks to you for being on the side of the attentive audience. If not, he says “You are the south end of a north facing horse”. If you still haven’t figured it out, you are on nobody’s side.

Apparao is an excellent combination to Balram Naidu. The scene where he uncomprehendingly repeats knocking on the door until Balram Naidu says ‘Ra’ in Telugu is hilarious. Equally hilarious is the part where he says “Sir knows many languages. He speaks five languages in Telugu.” Asin is good to start off with but gets irritating towards the end when she gets too obsessed with “yen Perumala kudungo”. She has tried to be funny but hasn’t had much success. Mallika Sherawat is pathetic all the way through. P.Vasu does a good job as Jara. M.S.Bhaskar does a great job with his constant butler English and his affectionate salutation ‘Durai’ to Fletcher. Full marks to you M.S. and get well soon. It’s also fun to hear Govind say “Naa oru appavi sir” (I’m an innocent man) and Ramesh Khanna reply “Glad to meet you”. Another point that I noticed in this movie is that unlike most Tamil movies where a gunshot on the head (or for that matter, anywhere on the body) pierces a nice round hole and a little blood decorates it, this movie shows what actually happens if a person is shot. When Avtaar Singh is shot on the throat, a lot of blood immediately shoots out. And when a constable is shot on the head by Fletcher, he wets his forehead completely with blood almost immediately.

A word of appreciation to the technicians and the stunt master. The movie will never be what it is without their invisible contributions.

And that completes my review. I need to rush to the Dean’s office now, rehearse the phrase “Adiyen Ramanujadasan” and argue why there is no temple for Vishnu in the campus, here in IIT. And no, I sport a ‘Tripunda’ not a ‘Tilakam’.

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