At last I decide to write my views on ‘Sivaji – The Boss’, the latest Rajni flick to bowl over audiences all over South India, and the world over.
Sivaji’s brilliant performance commercially is no surprise to any fan of his, after all - at the end of the day, does ANY other actor, the world over, command as much of a fan following or respect as him?
Rajnikanth is a phenomenon or let’s say Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (his real name), for the benefit of the unknowing public is a phenomenon in itself. A Marathi, who grew up in Bangalore, and was a conductor in BMTC, who went on to become one of South India’s most famous actors. Could a CV be more interesting?
Rags to Riches and Fame marks this man’s life, he is s a friend to some, a GOD to some, and a fatherly figure to others. The Tamil Film Industry cannot help but except the fact that this man symbolizes it, and will always be remembered as one’s of its most famous faces. His ‘fame’ spreads across the globe, what with Japanese and Malaysian fans, and recently I came across a community of Native Americans who also had a fan club in his honour. It’s almost impossible to even describe his effect on the psyche of so many millions, and I shall not even TRY to achieve the impossible. My Review (If you can call it one!)
‘Sivaji – The Boss’, the movie, is worth every damn second. Watching it even for a ticket worth Rs. 200/- didn’t seem a problem (I mean, there were people watching it across town for Rs. 1500/- , so who’s complaining?!) to an otherwise miserly me. I dragged along uninitiated James and Phanindra with Hari, Bhavya and me, and caught the film one morning at PVR Classic, Koramangala, Bangalore. The movie was an on-the-spot-book-a-ticket-film, a new concept started by PVR especially for SIVAJI, 6 screens were playing the film simultaneously at PVR and this was way into its 3rd week. Aaaaaaaah! ;)
The movie began as a typical Rajnikanth movie would, and the first song – Ballelakka, featured Nayantara – the slightly plump Kairali actor who was cast opposite him in Chandramukhi (his previous hit and a remake of Malayalam hit; Manichitrataazha), who has slimmed down beautifully and now looks GORGEOUS!
As was with his movies ever since Baba (a 2000 release), the song was almost like a Political Agenda that he was promising the people of Tamizh Naad.
With lyrics that promise our Ayya turning TN into the next America… The motive doesn’t seem too simple to understand…
Aey…Balleilakka Balleilakka Salethukkuh
Maduraikkah..
Madrasukkah…Thiruchikkah..Thiruthanikkaah..
Aey…Balleilakka Balleilakka…
Ottu Motho(m) Makkalukkaah…
Anna Vandhaa Tamil Nadu America…The movie anyway continues as a comedy till the interval, with interspersed Romance, Comedy and a lot of Sriya (Tamizh Chelvi’s) skin. Sriya does do an OK job at the ‘Iyer Veetuh’ girl, but echoosme! You can’t really imitate the ‘Woe-Hoeh’ of an Iyer girl, without like studying it for a year at the minimum (Previous successful attempts, Aishwarya Rai as Vaishnavi, and Konkona Sen Sharma in Mr & Mrs Iyer).
The song style that comes next, has some very interesting lyrics that have also caused lots of misunderstandings about the plot-line and what the film is trying to promote.
It (mind you) does not say that all Tamil boys who are dark now need to get fair, rather that kinda ironically, they ought to realize that they are beautiful as they are. Even in the story Tamizh Chelvi tells Sivaji that she used his colour as the reason to dislike him only because of her ‘Dosham’ (So IYER!!!), and she didn’t want to harm him. At the end of the day, his dark skin made him who he really was…
Lesson goes out to all Tamil Boys liberally applying Fairness creams…
Kanna… Karruppuh dhaan Tamizhukkuh Pudichchuh Colour’uh!
Well, that apart the sets for all the songs especially Sahaana Pookal and Vaaji Vaaji are to die for, I wouldn’t mind watching the film a hundred times just to catch these amazing sets that prove to me that Shankar beats Monsieur Bhansali any day.
Vivek’s comedy is good and not groce for once, as it usually is.
The inclusion of Solomon Pappaiah and half the cast of Patti-Manrram however again seems political to me.
I wouldn’t want you to miss catching Rajni in his many avatars. They’re to die for. I love the bald matrix avatar. Sexy! It is…
So…Go catch the movie before it goes off screens, coz it’s a pure theatre watch, not for those cozy home viewings with the whole family. Instead take your whole family to the film.
Entertaining and Awesome Music… What more could you ask for?
