Dasavatharam

When a movie of this magnitude releases, and that too after a million delays, it is bound to carry along with it a lot of hype. The hype could have proved detrimental to the success of the movie, but no, Dasavatharam has proved it wrong in grand style. No wonder K.S.Ravikumar is called a master director. It was a wise thing Kamalhassan didn't direct this high-budget venture. Though a lot of the ideas and concepts in the movie were his(or someone else's), it required someone like K.S.Ravikumar to focus more on the commercial aspect and dumb down the intellectual aspects of the movie to ensure proper reach among all classes. If Kamal had been the director, the converse would have happened and the resultant disaster would have been simply irrecoverable.

Moving away from being judgmental about Kamal's directorial prowess, Kamal as an actor has indeed taken performance to new heights. He has transformed into each of the 10 roles he plays with such ease and professionalism that few others can even attempt to match. What's interesting the first time you watch the movie is how you need to keep a tab on how many Kamals have so far appeared in the movie, what with the added confusion of whether a particular character is really Kamal or not(kudos to the make-up artist Westmore). Each of the 10 avatars in the movie has a significant part to play, except obviously the American President Mr. George W. Bush, who has been parodied brilliantly. Humour plays a very important role in the movie, lightening up the mood at regular intervals. The character of Balram Naidu deserves special mention for evoking laughter through body language itself, notwithstanding the ingenious humour in the dialogues. In the rest of the acting department, Asin has justified her selection for her role as a talkative, annoying, hyperactive heroine. The other actors also fit very well into their roles. Most notable are Napoleon and M.S.Bhaskar. What about Mallika Sherawat, you ask. There couldn't have been a better choice.

Plotwise, Chaos theory which forms the central theme of the movie is not explained explicitly and is left to the viewer to interpret, which is the most interesting aspect of the film, especially as it involves ten different characters each of whom has a role to play in all the chaos. How the 12th century events would relate to the present day events was a question everyone must have had even before the movie released and it's a question whose answer is central to the climax of the movie and the theological discussion/argument that happens between Kamal and Asin in the end.

The movie has also conveyed many messages in a simple manner instead of overemphasising any particular message. Symbolism can be observed at several places too, for example the fluttering butterfly as an allusion to "The Butterfly Effect", a parallel to Chaos theory. Hollywood inspiration is apparent in many places, as is the norm with Kamal's movies. But his constant effort in trying to produce a Hollywood-style movie needs to be applauded. With this movie, he has just gone several steps closer. Overall, Dasavatharam proves to be a thorough entertainer that reaffirms the status Kamalhassan so deservingly holds - a legendary actor, the Ulaganayagan.