Dasavataram - A big let down!

There was a lot of expectation on Dasavataram for very good reasons; the hype and every thing about it. Dasavataram, in which Kamal Hasan plays 10 roles, has nothing to do with Vishnu's Dasavataram or generations. Kamal plays 10 different roles in the film and most of them are enacted well and distinctive. In a way this is a definition of what an actor Kamal Hasan is!

The movie starts out centuries ago when Vaishnavites are overruled by Shaivaites. One of the areas in which both Nataraja (Lord Siva form) and Ranganatha Swamy (Lord Vishnu form) are receiving poojas regularly. The king of Shiva Clan wants to throw the Ranganatha idol into the sea and he is opposed and fought by Kamal Hasan who is a member of Vishnu clan. This part is filmed brilliantly, if you miss this part in the film, you’ve missed the best part.

Narration then moves to 2004. This is the stage where Kamal Hasan appears in 9 other different roles as – President of United states, Govind (main lead in the film, a scientist), old woman, Tall muslim guy, famous pop singer Avatar Singh, RAW investigating officer Nadar, Punya Koti (a Christian who fights against sand dwelling near the seas and rivers), Yugi (A Japanese Martial arts guy) and Bob Flecher (A CIA trained agent). The make-up is excellent for some characters and for some others it looks as though someone is wearing a mask!

As expected Kamal Hasan does justice to most of his roles. But, he doesnt have to prove what an amazing actor he is to anybody at this stage of his career. Mallika Sherawat is hardly there in the movie and Asin is just about there. The much hyped cgi - special effects work is quiet disappointing, no where near international standards. Not just acting, but Kamal has also provided the story, dialogues and screenplay for this film. The movie fails because of the script; actually there is no script in the first place! The first half of the film is good and raises a lot of expectations. Curiosity on how all these characters will be linked in the narration take the front seat by the interval. After the interval, the film revolves mostly on the chases paving way to the climax. But the curiosity factor is disappointed and one would feel like the soul is missing.

Saying that, if you go in with an open mind and don’t expect a lot, you may just like it for Kamal Hasan. For me it was a big let down…