Movie Review

Rating :

Verdict : No Bakwas, Pure film.

The most versatile and talented artist, writer, director is back after a long gap.  

After a gap of three years, Kamal Hassan is back with Viswaroopam, which is written, directed and produced by himself. The film was supposed to be directed by Selvaraghavan but as the director walked out of the film due to other commitments, Kamal took the responsibility of directing the film.

Perhaps this is the first time that he looks justified in his life-long obsession with the technical flourish of Hollywood. The earlier attempt, Dasavathaaram in which he donned ten roles, was not worth it.

The overall plot is simple – an Afghani Al-Qaeda jihadi Omar (Rahul Bose), his accomplice Salim (Jaideep Ahlawat) and their international terror network, plots to attack New York with a “Cesium-bomb”. The protagonist’s (Kamal as a Tam Bram dance teacher Vishwanath) wife is a researcher in nuclear oncology, but the company that she works for is a front for the project.

The movie, which opens with some exquisite dance movements of an effeminate Vishwanath, and the professional life of his unhappy wife who is on the fringe of a fling with her boss, is suddenly gripped by heavy-duty terror and Jihadi-American combat. The location also shifts between a dusty and ravenous combat zone of Afghanistan to a wintry New York. The question is if Omar and his jihadi network will succeed in their sinister plot?

The story of the film begins on a slow note but it is gripping. The first half is entirely shot in the US, and keeps you engaged and generate a lot of curiosity. When it comes to second half, the narration is dragging at parts but gets interesting with Kamal Hassans past getting revealed. Of all technical aspects, Sanu Vargheses cinematography stands tall, as he has done a brilliant job. He has wonderfully captured some of the rarest locales of Afghanistan. Shankar Ehsaan Loys two songs are good and background score is excellent. Especially, it is a treat to watch the Jet Fighter scenes on Auro 3D sound format. However, Mahesh Narayanans editing would have been better had he reduced the length of the film.

The highlights of the movie are the production values and the brilliance of Kamal as an actor. He looks incredibly good in the opening dance sequence – choreographed by Birju Maharaj – and the subsequent adrenalin-pumping action. The ease with which he transforms from a docile and effeminate man to a fiery combatant is a stealer. The entire cast and crew – Rahul Bose, Jaideep, Andrea Jeremiah, Shekhar Kapur, Nasser and Pooja Kumar among others – have done their bit to look and act good. However, the protagonist’s wife, played by Pooja Kumar, gets irritating after a while with her untimely Tam Bram jabber.

On the whole it is Kamal’s best baby and no one has any right to abort the baby. Even after seeing through  the magnifying glass you cannot find anything objectionable.  I think like Nirbhaya and Anna Hazare’s case even this time the PEOPLE have to come together to fight the dirty politics.