Caution: Potential Spoilers ahead

Disclaimer: You have to remember that this review is coming out of an ardent Rajini fan..

Dashed from work to home to have a quick change over.. went out with the gang for a dinner and was praying the waiter brings the food on time. Though the waiter was a bit slow in the start, he soon picked up his speed in delivering the food on time to the table. So we were thankfully on time for the show..

For the gang of 9 people, It was plain zipping to the theatre from there. After a bit of a late start by the theatre (23:30 show started around 30 mins later), the certificate for screening came after a host of commertials including the ones of Ayngaran the worldwide distributors of the movie. That was enough for a huge round of whistles.

The opening has a myterious masked man (we all know who it is) being taken to the prison amidst a huge crowd of wailing women and crying men. One of the inmate asks the man what brought him here and the man replies "Tried doing good for the country".. and there is the BOSS.. The movie then goes into flashback mode..Well not the kind of intro you would expect in a thalivar movie.. But that's Shankar for you...That still did not spoil the koochals and gummalams when Thalaivar's face is shown..

Sivaji is an home-returned NRI from the USA with around 200 crores rupees in his account and lot of ambition in his heart. He doesnt do what the usual NRI do - like buy big houses, start companies, etc. He wants to use up all this money to realise his dreams of building engineering and medical colleges under the name of Sivaji Foundation and offer free education to meritous students. Red-tapism and corruption stands in between him and his dreams. Worst of all, Adiseshan (Suman), a king maker and a businessman who thinks Rajini would ruin his business empire if rajini's dream project succeed, makes him pennyless using his political links. Rajini vows to hit back. BOSS then raises like a Phoenix and get the baddys into trouble and also ends up reforming the society from evils of Black money. Oh yeah, Sivaji, in this process, also manages to find the "Typical Tamil" girl, Shreya, falls in love with her and marries her.

Thalivar as Sivaji rocks, no doubt on his capacity to provide all round entertainment. The movie has comedy, action, romance, revenge and style,Style,stYle, styLe and stylE..

It takes someone like Rajini to turn 25 yrs younger. Thanks for the makeup man and the hair stylist. Rajini has quit smoking and now into gums :-). The style of popping the chewing gum (in lieu of cigarette.. remember i told you he has quit smoking) is pure Rajini formula.

Shreya, does her part of playing a typical Tamil Girl wearing paavadai davani for most part of the movie and as super hot glam doll in the song sequences..She does her glycerine shows well too..

Vivek does a good job as Sivaji's maama and his sidekick. Its a good break for him and will hopefully go long in this innings..

The opening song "Ballarikka.." was not to the mark of a Rajini intro song to be honest. Nayanthara looks chic and slim in it.. Dunno what she did to reduce to that extent. Much of the money for the movie would have gone for the "Vaaji..Vaaji", "Sahana" and "Athiradee" songs. My personal favorite was "Athiradee". Its the best picturized. I am sure that many would agree with me after seeing the picture. The way thalivar enters in Harley-Davison in the song is super.

Unlike the way Shankar refered in his earlier interview, its definitely not a tight rope walk he did to suit his fans as well as Rajini's. From start to finish, the movie is carried only by Rajini and there is very very less Shankarness in the movie (which i feel was for good). Wherever there is Shankarness, it did not go well in a Rajini movie.

Another interesting thing in this movie is that there are no punch dialogues..The only time Sivaji tries to, Vivek stops him with a "Veendaam Sivaji. Ippo ellam chinna pasanga kooda verala suzhatti punch adikkaranga. Nee adhellam pannatha, naan paathukkaraen" and comes up with a "Six ku appuram seven da, Sivaji ku appuram evan da!" taking a dig on the wannabe superstars.

In the climax, Rajini blows you off as MGR...particularly the way he changes his glasses..

In all the movie has all the ingredients to make it a super hit, the most powerful one being Rajinikanth..The movie is simply cool buddy...

Does not dissapoint the Rajini fan but is worth a watch for the non Rajini fans too..

Labels: General, Reviews