Dasavatharam - Kamal, Chaos and Confusion

I have been sooo eager to write about this from the time i watched the movie....So here goes:-

The whole world (well, at least a part of it!!) held its breath and waited for many many months in anticipation for this Magnum opus (!!!!) movie featuring Padmashri Kamal Hassan. It was finally released in the grandest of manner, with hopes of breaking many box office records... ....Unfortunately it got mixed reviews. A few websites called it mediocre & impalpable, and over hyped!! Some People who watched it said, it was a waste of time, money and energy (no really! some one actually said this!!) and some said, Kamal really is a genius and this movie is a must see....
Well, i never succumbed to these websites and reviews, as i wanted to see it for myself...Even if it was full a crap, i would spend that time to sit through it, in order to pass a verdict :)!!!And sit i did :) for a whole of 3 hours. First things first, i always have appreciated the effort that goes into making a movie. It is so easy for us to actually comment or be a very rude critic without actually appreciating the fact that it was conceived with utmost care and love, as a mother would a child.

So anywhoo...I wont talk about the story line, as most of you already know it and there are very many websites that do a much better job at "story telling".....Google it and see for yourself...:)
I am going to rant about what really impressed me and what i think are the positives of this "Movie"!!hmmm....maybe a few negatives too :) :)


(1) Rangaraja Nambi:- This character tops my list. After watching movies like Indian, Anbe Sivam, Mahanadi etc....Rangaraja Nambi is definitely a great "opening Batsman" (for lack of a better comparison!!). His portrayal of the 12th century Vaishnavite leaves you totally mesmerized. This character alone, displays various emotions in the 8-10 minute screen time he has been given...Even I was misty eyed in the scene where the Cruel King Kulothunga Chozhan (Played by Napolen!! well, lets not go there!!) asks Nambi to choose between his family (wife, played by Asin:- Kudos!!) and his God "Shri Maha Vishnu"....The way Kamal acts out Nambi's helplessness left me in Awe...yes, that is the Kamal we all know...Especially when Napoleon spits out series of "Arivom...Arivom"...Nambi goes, "The God even made you say "Hari Om".Classic!


(2) Christian Fletzer:- An Ex CIA. This character is amazing for different reasons...First of, it is completely different from the regular Kamal we know...As in, he normally would not miss the opportunity to use his Accented English and regular vetti banda, even if he play a desi guy visiting foreign land (Ref:- Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu). As Fletzer, he did not talk much but acted out as a typical Villian...Always chasing his target, he never falters or takes a breather...Great Dialogue delivery, Oozing expressions, accent and attitude true to an American Baddie...:)!


(3) Balaram Naidu:- An Intelligence official of the Govt Of India. This character was hilarious...His Telugu accent and the way he beams with pride when he sees a fellow "teluguvadu", is just too good! His convo with Govind (The Scientist Kamal) where he is hell bent on proving how important his role is and how dangerous he can be, is just a riot...I like the scene where Khalifulla says "Lorrykar idichuttu poitaan sir"...Naidu:- "Correct a sollu Lorry ya? Car a?" :) :) And the mockery "I am from Andhra and i am speaking in Tamil. You are from Tamil Nadu and u speak in English....apprum Tamil Vazhga, valargana, yebdi valarum???"...Stings! :)

Other aspects:- I liked Govind (the scientist) for a few reasons:- His anxiousness to find someone in India who can actually understand what he is talking about...The line "You are the south end of a North Facing Horse"...His mini arguements with Asin and the last scene where he says "Naan Kadavul illainu sollale, iruntha nalla irukumnu thaan solren" he he...The Sarcasm in his Atheism.
Vincent Poovaragan, yes definitely a great character. The make up was so real, it took me a while to realize it was "Kamal" in all his glory. The Nagarkoil accent was simply superb. Although i am not surprised, as it was kamal-the perfectionist! However, i felt Poovaragan did not have the screen time he deserved.

The Bush Mockery of "Can we not drop a nuclear bomb on it"? was awesome...I also appreciate the Height variations of the 10 different characters.

Now the "not so good" aspects:- The Tamizh saying "Alavukku adigama pona, amrithamum visham" holds good here..

The very idea of reading a word (even if it is "Ice Cream") 10 times, is boring enough, imagine watching 10 different roles..It was an over dose for sure....The Japanese character, Avatar Singh, Khaliffulla, Krishnaveni pati were just so so...
Make up was not up to kamal's standards. I expected to see a lot more. The "Perumal Paithiyum" Asin was very very irritating...Agreed that she blindly loves her Perumal, but even Perumal has his limits!!! She could have toned it down a bit!

Music was mediocre. The song "Kallai mattum" will take time to grow on you. The same with "Mukunda Mukunda"...

Dasavatharam is a good movie but i can sit through it just one time....I definitely wont see it again. I am a kamal fan and i watch all his movies, N number of times...But sorry, not this one! He is the "Ulaga Nayagan" agreed but Dasavatharam does not fit in Kamal's jewels. Kudos to him for the effort but better luck next time!

Layang Layang:- Malaysian Connection!

Bay area is a great place for all things food :) Its home to various Cuisines and i have been adventurous enough to try, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Thai, Authentic Chinese, Vietnamese, Lebanese, Peruvian, Mexican, Italian, to name a few:) & have loved almost all of them...The operative word being "Almost", I have never been a big fan of Malaysian cuisine, ..Believe you me, for many nights, i have spent many many hours in the restroom throwing up!!!! So, you can imagine how terrified i would be to try this new place that came highly recommended by a fellow food and food channel lover. Of course, i could have simply avoided it but he is such a great food critic that i was instantly curious! :)

If u have read my previous post, you would know i always check a new food joint's web page...for reviews and what the place has to offer and any nearby clinics... in this case if get "Malay nauseous" :)!!
Malaysian Cuisine, blends food from Native Malay, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian and Portugese influences."Layang Layang"s (pronounced "LIEong LIEong") menu looked rather impressive. On it, I saw a few "Usual Suspects" and some very new items which were unheard of:). A bit pricey, it all gave me an idea of a very upscale restaurant.

I am a true believer that "Good company, even in a bad place makes everything look so much better"...so i called and made dinner arrangements with my best buddy Madhu (of course, a fellow foodie:))...It was set to be on Friday (June 6th )....This place does not take reservations for dinner and was known for its long wait time, from what i have heard..So, we went at around 7:30 pm (which was actually a little early for us:)....To my shock, the venue was nothing like what i had expected....Its a small Beige building, but was already crowded which basically reflects the quality of food they served! All in all, it could seat a maximum of 50 people comfortably and had a few tables outside as well. The ambiance was very festive and warm..

The whole place was cramped yet very cozy. We gave our names and stood waiting for 20 minutes or so....but made the most of it by ogling at what was being served to the guests and what looks good etc! By the time the Maitre de had our table ready, we knew what we wanted and wanted it fast....

The first thing that caught Madhu's attention was the Tender coconut juice....It was brought to us in a coconut case with a cute little pink umbrella. It was called "Air Kelapa Segar:- Fresh young coconut". Madhu was as happy as a kid in a candy store:) I took some pics w/ my phone but could not upload them due to various reasons, technical! :(....I settled for a Kendall Jackson Chardonnay. We were on to the Appetizers...From a list of 13 items, we ordered 2 Roti Canais (A thin Indian style pancake with curried dipping sauce, see image) This was a house favorite....It reminded me of parata kurma only lighter! We also ordered "Chicken Satay":- 5 marinated Chicken grilled on stick, served with homemade peanut sauce. I shed all my inhibitions and dove into the two amazing Starters....They were delicious and i was feeling just fine...

Moving to the main course, Madhu navigated my attention to the Seafood section...There were 23 seafood items listed on the menu; Each claiming to be more flavorful n inviting than the other. After thoughtful considerations, we settled for "Ikan Sambal":- Deep fried Salmon with bell peppers in a bed of Nyonya (Tomato n Dry fish based) sauce, served in a Banana leaf basket. We were waiting to try the "Sizzling Chicken" and ordered that, which came on a hot plate with rich dense brown sauce, and bell peppers for the color factor:)! Yummmmmm....

The Third item was "Mee Goreng":- Indian style stir fried yellow noodle in special mild sauce with shrimp, tomato, bean sprouts, egg, and Chinese cabbage (See Image). This was to die for.....

Almost done with the main course and i was feeling fine....Of course, it would be crazy, crime even, to walk out with out trying their dessert menu which was as different as their Appetizer and Main course menu....Everything looked sooo delicious....I had heard that the house specialty was "Ice Kacang": A bowl of shaved ice, topped with strawberry, cherry flavorings, caramel, red bean and whipped cream. 3 people can easily share this Malaysian version of "Gola"!!
We wanted to try something different, seeing as how there were way more options than just shaved ice.....So, we ordered "Fried Banana with ice cream", yes! nothing fancy but guess what?? The ice cream sat on a bed of strawberry preserve.....Oh, that was something!!! What intrigued me was " Kaya (Coconut jam) Pancake"..I summoned for one (forget the calories!!!!)...And i was not disappointed, at all!!!! Its again, the Malaysian version of "Puran poli" only made entirely with coconut,,,,We asked for the pancake to be topped with ice cream:) :)...Yeah, we are that crazy about sweets:)!!! The hot sweet rich Pancake with the cool French vanilla Ice cream was the perfect ending to a great dinner...

Done with dessert and i was still feeling fine!!! I had just finished my first safe Malaysian meal, without running to the nearest restroom or clinic!! yeah, i am surprised at this point. We settled the tab and promised to add this place to our list of favorites....

It is safe to say that i am now a fan of Malaysian cuisine, as well....but it would have to take some big miracle to have me try another Malaysian restaurant...For now, i am sticking to "Layang Layang".....Cheers! :)