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21 Responses to “Dasavatharam - Insult to Intelligence”

1. Medium on June 15th, 2008 12:10 am

   Jaiganesh !!

   good read man !!

   i guess its only me who got the 150 Rs paisa vasool !!!

2. Anand on June 15th, 2008 12:34 am

   Since I have stated my opinion about the film in my comments on the other blog by Anand Kadam, let me only post my opinion about this review.
   I think it is definetely not a review as it states nothing about the film. It is just a single word opinion of the reviewer about the film(Bad…period). It would be worthwhile if reviewers post their review after 48 hours of watching the film so that they could write something objectively.

3. Maverick on June 15th, 2008 4:30 am

   When you guys try to host a blog posing as intelligent reviewers of a movie, try atleast to learn to compare with the right kind of movies. The fact that you are comparing Dasavatharam with Kamal’s Padhinaaru Vayadhinile, Nayagan, Guna, Apoorva sagodharargal, Virumaandi, thevar magan or even Singaravelan just exposes the kind of your reviewing intelligence. Would you ever compare Rajini’s Sivaji and his 6-il-irundhu-60-varai? It is as bad a comparison that you have done here.

   Atleast, try to compare flicks with the same genre, man! Dasavathram is a racy entertainer and a masala flick with a zillion times better screenplay than your run-of-the-mill blockbuster flicks like Ghilli, Run, Kuruvi and Bheema (No offence meant to the tamil film audiences’ IQ here). See it as a masala entertainer which has a canvas that spreads from 12th century story to sci-fi one involding bio-weapons in 21st century. He has adapted it to suit to our Tamil audiences with a neat screenplay. And what if some of the 10 avtaars were forced upon to make up the numbers. I would still watch that tall Muslim guy played by kamal rather than god-knows-who actor. You want Kamal to make great movies like Guna, Anbe Sivam, Mahanadhi, Hey Ram all the time and still would not go to watch those movies in theatre and doom them to BO disasters and when they play it on TV, you smile and say ‘nice movie. why didn it run?’ Huh?
   And when he comes up with a racy entertainer for the masses with Dasavathram, you start comparing it with those flicks like Hey Ram and MMKR (great movie, sucked at BO). And these are the same Tamil film audiences who go in herds and watch flicks like Sivaji, Kuruvi, Ghilli, Run, Dhool and make them BO blockbusters and encourage those producers and heroes to repeat the same done-to-death hero with aruvaal killing bad men stories. And I read a line somewhere about a guy reviewing the CGI effects that the 12th century river was designed in such a way that it was shallow enough for a elephant to walk but deep enough for a boat to float. Gosh! You are talking about logic here? Are you a Tamil movie fan and ever watched one single Tamil movie in your life? Hypocrism, I say.

4. Jaiganesh on June 15th, 2008 7:04 am

   Trust me guys!
   This is not a review.
   Please go through my earlier posts in PFC.
   One thing I have not done is writing reviews. It takes a lot to write reviews.
   Consider this a warning to people, in times of unprecedented fuel prices, ticket prices, inflation, want to watch a Kamal movie for Kamal, ready to drive down miles if it is US and other places, ready to brave the crowded city buses or jostle through harsh weather of Indian cities.
   I am in no way comparing the great works of past with this film.
   I am just pointing to the fact that someone who is so capable might slip with a failed experiment like Aalavandhan . An unabashedly fan pleaser like Vasool Raja is also fine. When an interesting premise and script (written by none other than himself) is destroyed mindlessly for .. Let me say the word .. GIMMICKS - It starts to give headaches, even if i have left my commonsense gadgets in the doorsteps of the theatre.
   @Maverick - Have you watched a Kamal movie called Magaraasan? It is a comedy caper by G.N.Rangarajan who is a long time friend of Kamal and Kamal supposedly played a guest role called ‘Vadivelu’ the butcher. I enjoyed that movie better than this one and that one did not even have a script. This one had so much written, however when it realized itself in screen, it was like ‘What the hell’ for me. For long I have joined Kamal fans in thinking that ‘look how Kamal selflessly gives nasser or Nagesh or Pasupathi a great role and lets them perform great and corner laurels, he is a great hope for good cinema in thamizh et.al. However with Dasa, I have to say my hopes have dimmed a bit. Looking forward to Marmayogi.
   This one - nah. take a break.

5. Jaiganesh on June 15th, 2008 7:07 am

   Also one more thing.
   i would love to watch 100 kamals, but to see him expressionless behind a darth vader mask - is extremely painful experience.

6. Anand on June 15th, 2008 8:53 pm

   Thanks for clarifying VP that it is not a review. To each his own. I have seen people who said that MMKR and Apoorva Sahodharargal are bad films. One of my friends even justified that trained circus tigers are not man eaters like it was shown in AS…Trust me..that was the reason he gave to say that AS was a bad film.

   For me films can be classified into three types..great films, good films and bad films. The difference between great films and good films is that great films stand the test of time. MMKR which I thought was a good film then, according to me and many others now, will be a great film as it has definetely stood the test of time. As of now I think Dasavatharam is a good film..I have already seen it twice and will be watching again next week. For the sake of the super human effort behind the film, I hope my judgement about the film is wrong and it becomes a great film by standing the test of time.

   And VP, I personally think acting is not merely facial expressions, had it been only facial expressions, then Shanmugi Mami was not a great performance.

7. V.P.Jaiganesh on June 15th, 2008 9:18 pm

   Anand!!
   Please look at Avvai shanmugi again and you will find that the makeup - though prosthetic was much better than any of the Kamal makeups in Dasa. It is the same makeup expert and yet the quality is so different?

8. Shyaam Nagarajan on June 15th, 2008 11:36 pm

   Dasavathram was a bad film. I expected a lot more from Kamal. Not because he has been part of great films like 16 vaidhinilae or nayagan but because he has also been part of commercial and dont-look-for-logic flicks like MMKR. And I completely agree with Jaiganesh on the point that make-up was f*&^*( all. Avai Shanmughi and Indian, makeup was so good and this looked like Kamal was trying to hid behind a Aata paste. Special effects was also bad. Don’t know where all the 90 crores went?

   At the same time, a film like Dasa, how much ever people say its bad, a true Kamal fan or a tamil film fan would go to see it. You cant stop them. But the worst part is a lot of people in North think that this is South Indian Cinema and my response is NO. This is also part of South Indian cinema and unfortunately it is these kinds of films which get publicity and these are the films which are talked about.

9. Anand on June 16th, 2008 3:49 am

   Mr VP..There is something called Budget and Market potential. Unfortunately this holds good even for an artistic medium like Cinema..In AS, money was spent only for make up of one character and no money was spent on CGI. In Dasavatharam, money has spent on make up for 10 characters, and in most scenes CGI is present..All frames which involves one or more Kamal is a CGI work. Just imagine the amount of work involved…From my knowledge of Cinema, I think the crew has decided on lesser quality of prosthetic make up to accomodate the budget. In many scenes colour correction is also not excellent. But in a film like this which is a logistical nightmare and is possible only due to one person, we need to ignore these minor glitches to enjoy the roller coaster ride.
   And VP, What are you complaining about..the poor quality of prosthetic make up or the fact that Kamal’s expressions are not seen?

10. Krishna Kumar on June 16th, 2008 3:58 am

    Kamal has been churning out movies for connoisseurs ending up with commercial disasters, making many producers bankrupt… This one is a clear pure entertainer that common man in the theater watches with his jaw wide open… You have to comment his efforts in thinking and executing a project like this which could have been a mere fancy dress in a premise that is well connected and enjoyable… He should be excused for that

11. Jaiganesh on June 16th, 2008 9:45 am

    Couple of things straight off the bat.
    Dasa and its CG implications are understandable.
    However when the USP of the film is 10 different kamals and lets accept your notion of ‘to hell with high cost graphics’ (which took almost a year to complete even for a shoddy work), by the same token - the makeup should have been good. And for heavensake - the man who knows how to create an appu shorter in size and with the facial changes including how changed his teeth for appu to get the 100 percent dwarf effect wearing bank robbery masks and calling them make up is a bit too much.
    I did not expect hollywood CG or anything - and still had to bang my head every ten minutes in the movie - And the makeup and shoddy CG for 7 foot Kalifulla Khan was an attempt downright to insult the audience and nothing else.

12. Jaiganesh on June 16th, 2008 9:54 am

    @ Krishna:
    I agree with you that there are many all over the world who would watch and enjoy this movie. I am telling you why I could not enjoy this movie. This is the same Kamal hassan who keeps telling in every interview that he is a perfectionist and the responsibility to raise the taste of the audience lies in the hands of the makers and actors by delivering a high quality product. With this movie Kamal has failed himself.
    He had a formula where for every movie of “his will”, there would be a movie for the producer to make a sure fire hit.
    Even in that movie there will be Kamal the actor enthralling the audience with his cute little things (Even Vasool Raja had some Crazy one liners and cute puns that rocked the theatre). In this movie there was only 30 mins of Balram Naidu who could deliver that and the rest of the nine avatars were regally unimpressive and some of the avtars due to the hideous makeup were downright inert. out of a 210 mins of the movie 30 mins of Balram Naidu is for me a recommended ‘youtube’ watch. And to pay exhorbitant ticket prices (most theatres hiked their prices for this) for this 30 mins is asking from the ‘jaw open’ public WAY TOO MUCH.

13. Raj Balakrishnan on June 18th, 2008 9:09 am

    Jaiganesh,

    Nice write-up. There is one aspect that has been missed. Kamal’s cheap shots at Hindus and Hinduism. It is one thing to call yourself an atheist, but when that takes an anti-Hindu form it is completely unacceptable

14. Roadtosanjay on June 18th, 2008 11:06 am

    Hi

    Well everyone starts debating about the hype that we call cinema in India.Sivaji, Dasava…,sadly in India do not understand the mockery of what we are making in the name of cinema.

    We should analyse the reasons why such stupid films are made in india.

    Once in a while in Chennai there is a film festival conducted by a few 60 year olds who take it as a government job.Its there 10 days in limelight.Not a single star of Tamil film industry except a few actor sideys puts their head in.Not because they love cinema but to see how they can copy. Our films could not be enjoyed anywhere in the world as the people cannot understand why these fat woman like Namita or Khushboo in skimpy clothes have to make such pornographic movements.We indians abroad have no answer.

    So stop stupidly comparing a kamal with Alpacino.When kamal tries to play Alpacino he ends up overacting.The other one looks so natural.So much of grace and sensitivity.

    SO Kamal says that other people in the world should come and be proud to take Indian awards and Oscars is a not a big thing.How much more stupid can a actor be.Atleast Rajini is dumb but he accepts that fact.Rajinis films mind you are seen too as a comic book kind outside.In Japan its like watching a Jimcarrey film.

    Ok Kamal…But here you have actor who tries to be something which he is not.We hid behind our inefficiency, Not a single Indian movie could be nominated in the Oscars or Canne except for some nice Malayalam movies earlier, even countries like Algeria manage to do it.When no one in the world can sit and watch a tamil or hindi masala movie why would they come for a Indian award.Sometimes you wonder at these actors stupid minds.Who actor in right mind would let sucha film be diected by KS Ravikumar, a joker , nothing less.

    The problem in tamilnadu is that all these directors watch Foreign films but they have no clue as to how to handle sensitivity as its not their in them as human beeings.In real life too all this people are clowns in big cars.

    Lets be honest all this hype about indian movies capturing hollywood or Europe is bullshit.The reality is these movies of ours are seen by only indians there in ghettos who have no entertainment, also it reduces their guilt as they show these films to their kids , to make them into little Indians.
    In France there are about 1 lakh ceylon tamils refugees who waited 5 days in advance in Chand lisa to see Rajinis chandramukhi.The french were amused to see all that in disgust.But since it had a nice screenplay for once thanks to its mallu origins it was a saving grace.In US no one can sit 2 hours full of any Indian movie.In 20 minutes people ran out of DEVDAS…face the truth.

    Sharukh once said in a ASSOCHAM meeting in front of industrialists that our songs and dance should be kept as its our USP, just like latin cinema has its own USP of drugs!!!What a fool an actor can be..he’s never seen Latin cinema, cheguerra….other classics.Better not to go into details…And he is the youth icon of pop corn munching stpid Marwaris and Gujjus.His outlook is limited to that.Also if there is no song and dance nobody would give him a second look.Why c ant we have actors??? Just stand like George clooney or Bradd pitt or Leanoardo or Tom hanks.

    So lets hope that new generation directors like rajeev Menon who have the potential save this industry.Already no right family sees a Tamil film or pornographic film would be better word.Suggestic movements of women are so vulgar that even in Netherlands or Spain , women look down in shame at these visuals…I have seeen it.

    Sad….

15. Jaiganesh on June 18th, 2008 11:24 am

    Road to Sanjay!
    Though you try to present across some sensible things, there is an undertone of racism dripping in almost every second sentence of your post. Pls mind that lack of sensitivity you place on a great artiste like Kamal is exactly what you have exhibited in your post with racial and linguistic references. i hope you realize this mistake and correct yourself. We have had comments like this - insinuating and provocative that have sidetracked a great discussion. So please watch what you are posting.
    Coming to the point of Song and Dance as our USP, there is nothing wrong in SRK’s statement, barring his generalzation of Latin cinema. Songs and Dance and comedy are rally USPs if they are done tactfully as masters like Shantaram, Gurudutt, Maniratnam and even Kamal have demonstrated in the past.

16. Shyaam Nagarajan on June 18th, 2008 10:41 pm

    @ Road to Sanjay

    Dude, I am proud of Indian Cinema. I don’t know why you are getting offended and hurt because some firangs scorn at Khushboo dancing. And I think you know that Indian Cinema is not restricted to Kamal Hassans, Rajinis or for that matter Khushboos. It is true we are behind many other countries in terms of awards but I dont think we are behind in terms of any kind of recognition.

    Wasn’t Moulin Rouge said to have been influenced from Indian Cinema for the songs which it had in between the films like in Indian Cinema? Moulin Rouge is just one example. Hasnt our music travelled globally?

    I hate Dasavatharam and Chandramukhi and I thought it was the latter was an insult to Manichitrathaazhu which was classic. If films are not getting awards and recognition the way they deserve, the Indian junta has to be blamed and not “pop corn munching stpid Marwaris and Gujjus”. SRK is SRK because of the recognition people all over INdia have given him and not a select group and he has very cleverly capitalized the fame he has got and has ensured that films run commercially.

    We know that there are really undeserving films which go for nominations and we cut a sorry figure sometimes but the good cinema is not given its due. A simple example would be a film like “Khosla ka Ghosla”. It s hundred times better than “Dasavatharam”. Did it get its due? What about Saif Ali Khan getting National Award for Best Actor for “Hum Tum”. Is’nt that a disgrace? Who is to be blamed?

    We have a lot of directors as you rightly pointed out (In my opinion I dont Rajeev Menon is yet to figure in them) and it is the junta who has support them.

17. roadtosanjay on June 19th, 2008 5:53 am

    Hi Jaiganesh

    Pardon me if my post sounded racial, hmmmm am an Indian and infact we fight racism allover in airports etc, so that is a wrong judgement.

    But to come to the point, why is it that people outside India cannot think of heigtening emotions with SONGs and dances.Do you ever in your dreams in theformat of such songs????So how do you justify such tangents in a narrative.Jaiganesh , have you seen the vulgar movements of our movies offlate?Would you be comfortable sitting in Canne or Venice festival with such songs suddenly popping up in a film?

    Mindyou Sir, if Jennifer Lopez dances in a song we sit and watch, but when fat out of shape Heroines do aerobics qnd vulgar movements what sensitivity are you suggesting here? To answer your point more clearly I will quote Antony banderas in Zorro, what is that I lack- pat comes the reply…CHARM.

    If atleast Hritik Roshan dances or eben Sharukh for that matter most of the pêople here sit and take notice.But stars in South make the dance into a completely exercise routine.

    Also please don’t put Shantaram and Gurudutt in the same bracket as Mani ratnam and Kamal.The first ones were shooting films against odds when the form of cinema was just taking shape in india, so yes the Hollywood musials were a big influence.But the others have wasted a lifetime of talent by playing to the Market.

    Rememeber Jaiganesh that films are our face to the outside world.Most of countries abroad have a vibrant film culture unlike ours, they go in the evening and watch world cinema.So India is represented by these films, its India’s face.

    Also spare a thought for the dipping collections of our movies, the middle class have stopped going to the movies, so also the intellectual class of the society.There should be something in all this as a message.

    If you are happy with one Moulin rouge or Bombay dreams musical or a part time role for a Indian actress in James Bond movie or jackie chan one, if you are happy if billa is played in Market section of Canne where even your childs birthday video can beplayed to Marketers for a sum, If you are happy at Aish and Preity walking in Gowns in Canne and say Indian cinema is so popular today….have a nice trip buddy.

    Nothing patriotic about the whole thing.Have the guts to look into the mirror and say I have this defect.Thats the first sign of change for good.No point hiding the disease…

    But in todays world

18. Jaiganesh on June 19th, 2008 4:57 pm

    @Rd2S (shall I address you thus?)

    I agree that quality of some songs in some movies are indeed poor. If we have our trash, they have their trash. If we are shamed of trash - that is a good beginning. We as audience should reject trash being served on our plate. If we continue to do so, makers of trash will stop doing it. Period. A decade ago - for a movie of Kamal or Rajini - getting criticised in a public forum was almost impossible to imagine. So with the help of blogs and forums and wiki’s counter opinions and real reviews (written by ppl like you and me who spend our hard earned money to watch the films) are beginning to gain visibility all over the web world. It is only a matter of time before the film makers realize their follies and turn up the quality of our movies. So keep the faith and keep expressing your opinions.

19. riti on July 4th, 2008 3:50 am

    i hope its the worst among all the indian film that too spending too much. kamal sud understand that spending too much or creating some story like he did for dasavatarm is not goin to attract audience of tamilnadu. its a total waste. for this dubakur movie he spent in crores and took so much of time and called jackie chan for audio release. film like kadal n many more had not spent too much but did well in theatres. first he sud understand mind of tamilnadu audiences. then he sud make film accordingly.and truly the makeups were not upto mark.

20. yoga raj on July 5th, 2008 12:32 am

    do you know something -: terorrist hate americans but Indians hate Indians - like the saying goes ” Indians are like the crab in a bucket” - they pull each other down eventualy no one progresses forward. I am an Indian descent ethnic but not an Indian from India.

    Movies like Dasavatharam or sivaji was created to suit, entertain n satisfy all layers of the Indian community. From the dothi washer near the kaveri river to the trishaw puller in madras or the dayline beggers communities in puducherry…. and also educated & intellectual derelicts from the tidal park or someone like you too to fully get satisfied and entertained.

    When Rajni or kamal makes a comical cameo flick in thier movie that might be very illogical to the educated community but it is this kinda of flicks that turn to be extreme entertainer to the 300 or so millions of Indian population who are still statistically far far below the poverty line.
    so dont talk for your self as how and what you are but this movie was made to cover Indias every layers of individuals taste bud.

    second:

    People from India have thier very own historical legacy , thier own tradition ,thier own rituals , thier own religion, thier own rich culture.. thus for many thousands of years they have carved a unique civilization for themselves. Hence thier way of living style and persona is way different from then the westerns.
    The american are not Indian , a movie taken for them suits , fits and entertain them - but Indians are not them - American standard movies dont fit , satisfy or suit Indians as how it do for the Americans. For Indians - they need an Indian film - that was made just for them, then they get so happy with it till they will even do milk obillation on the actors cut-out and regard the actors in par to demi gods. Because its simply Indian film made at Indian standard for all layers of Indians.

    Please understand that

    yoga

21. Jaiganesh on July 5th, 2008 8:03 am

    Thanks yoga.
    but no thanks.

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