The Wiz.

Kamal Hassan. One of the greatest actors ever, his contribution to cinema, especially the Tamil industry, is unparalleled. And thus, it was indeed disheartening and infuriating, to see his magnum opus, Viswaroopam go through an array of legal issues. But, it's finally here, with the whole state's eyes glued madly onto it.

Dr.Nirupama, a nuclear oncologist, shares a hollow marital life with her rather feminine 'husband' Vishwanathan, a Kathak teacher, and finds herself attracted to her boss, Deepak. Her life takes a complete whirlwind twist, when a chain of events unfold to bring to light facts - that Vishwanathan, is actually Wisam Ahmed Kashmiri, an agent of the Indian Army, who managed to train himself as an Al-Qaeda jihadi, who is a set on a mission to thwart the plans of his former comrades, led by Omar, funded by Deepak himself, to set off a nuclear bomb. Whether Wisam suceeds in his mission, or not, is what Viswaroopam is all about.

The very class of the film is something new to the Tamil screens, as it scores high on technicality. The visual treatment, the reality of the sets and locations, the vivid action, and the heart-grabbing screenplay have been brought to life through tremendous effort, which is definitely commendable. Performances are on a high, be it the confused Pooja Kumar, or the scarred jihadi Rahul Bose. The film has Kamal Hassan in it, so one can expect a higher level of discipline than usual. And he doesn't disappoint you. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have rendered scores that gel wonderfully with the movie. Mahesh Narayanan's editing works in beautiful sync with Sanu John Varghese's camera.

But where the film drops you, is its pace. With the movie rocketing forward from the beginning, things turn snail-pace in the middle, as audiences are put through a thorough experience of Wisam's jihadi life. But why the deep exploration? Why the long flashback? Why such unanswered questions?

All 'cause Mr.Hassan chose to build up one hell of a forefront for Viswaroopam 2.

Vishwarooopam, doesn't perhaps live up to its hype, but that was maybe because of a larger-than-life hype the past events chose to create. But, it is a movie worth a definite watch, and it will have people geared up and ready for its sequel.

Aditya Baskaran

Enga Nee Kootti Pora?

Debutantes hailing from cinema families. Arvind Swamy returning after 13 years. Arjun in a negative role. An amazing team of technicians. The grand brand name, Mani Ratnam. Colossal hype. That was the public emotion towards Kadal, starring Gautham Karthik, Thulasi Nair,as it hit screens last week.

Bergmans, vows to take revenge against goody-goody Sam who gets him 'thrown out' of his seminary, for his misbehaviour. Sam, who moves on with life, becomes the priest of a small fishing hamlet and takes up the young orphan Thomas, an outcast, under his wing. He meets Bergmans again in a twist of fate, and how the life of these three men get intertwined in a battle between light and dark, forms the rest of the story.

Arvind Swamy is back, and how. More than a decade since he appeared on screens, and the man has still not lost his touch, as he wows audiences with his performance. Paralleling him is Arjun, who delivers a power-packed performance as the sinister Bergmans. Gautham, and Thulasi have performed commendably enough in this dream debut of a film, but they still have a long way to go. One of the very few pluses in this film, is the cast, where each and every person fit their role to the optimum.

There are only a handful of composers who can be credited as magicians, rather than musicians, and definitely, by all means, A.R.Rahman is one of them. With a completely wonderful album, he takes the movie to a different level, by means of his background score. While the experimental treatment of 'Adiye' seemed a bit ridiculous, the songs have undergone a beautiful visual treatment. 

This is not a Mani Ratnam film. No, it does not have his class, it does not have his usual delivery. But this is Rajiv Menon's masterpiece. The cinematography in this film has been exemplary, and several interesting angles, and frames make it a complete delight for the viewers. 

The film, is snail-paced, a fact that could be attributed more to the slow screenplay than Sreekar Prasad's editing. The movie goes places, and puts the audience in a conundrum, as it does not portray a clear picture of the story. The dialogues, though interesting, sounds very alien, and adds to the confusion. While the movie is worth a watch, it is sadly, a disappointment from the legendary Mani Ratnam.

Aditya Baskaran