Jun 25, 2007 08:28 PM
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Since I am a Rajini fan, please do not expect an unbiased review:-) - However, I have tried my best to be neutral!
The movie is about Rajini, called Shivaji in the movie who happens to be a'Software Systems Architect', who spent a while in US and made a lot of money.(Rs 250 crores!). I am unaware of anyways to make such kind of money as a system architect unless you own a company and sell it to google or ebay:-)(about 65 million USD).
He wants to do good to the community and hence wants to start a free hospital and medical and engineering colleges where education is free. This irks the local multi-millionaire Adisheshan(played by Suman) who owns a college and a hospital himself. He flexes his muscle using his political connections and makes sure that Rajini's project is grounded. By the interval time, Rajini is on roads, with only one rupee given by Suman to initiate Rajini into begging.
Rajini decides to face Suman and bring him down. He then wants to decide if he wants to take on Suman in a soft/legal way(poo paathai) or by fire(or power / singa paathai). He tosses the one rupee coin and decides to take on Suman by fire.
There is a Shriya interlude too - Shriya, hails from a lower middle class family and their family is initially taken back by straight(?) approach by Rajini and his family and are also hesitant because of Rajini's wealth. However, all's well, despite Shriya's horoscope indicated a total mismatch with Rajini's.
The story then moves on with Rajini taking over control of huge sums of black money in entire Tamil Nadu using violence and knack, and spending it for poor and needy. The villains emotionally black mail Shriya(now married) and get Rajini's secret documents and almost kill Rajini. How Rajini comes back in a different avatar(I hate the use of this word, derived from Sanskrit, since it has a totally different connotation in Sanskrit, but the english word focuses on different forms and not the main meaning of'descending') and then vanquishes the villain is the climax.
All said,
(1) Rajini ROCKS. He is the pillar who moves the story around. Huge weight on his shoulders, that carries non-chalantly.
(2) Shriya looks awesome and has a great drool factor. Even non-Rajini fans can watch Sivaji for Shriya's sake(this said, looks are subjective, and I can almost hear some people flaming me!)
(3) Vivek's comedy is good - But dont expect anything in the genre of Anniyan. Way way watered down.
(4) Visuals are rich - too rich sometimes. Camera and editing are top class!
(5) Shankar SUCKS - Innumerable logic failures, naively constructed sequences. May appeal to slightly uninformed. How can CPR(Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) revive a dead person? How can de-fibrillation bring back the dead? Raghuvaran is then God incarnate in the movie. If I try pointing out Shankar's blunders, the list would be as big as this(already long) review.
He needs to be punished for changing the Rajini font and introductory sequence and also for the way Rajini is introduced in the movie.(Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr). I used to be a BIG fan of Shankar after Anniyan, but this is real bad stuff.
(6) Sujata does a fair job at the dialogs. Really liked some of them.
(7) AR Rahman is fantastic. But Balleilakka lacks the punch:-(
It is a great movie for a Rajini fan. Can definitely watch more than once! And for people who can voluntary switch of their'logic' button, and enjoy phenomenal Rajini, just stop reading the review and go watch the movie!
