At
the
cataclysmic
climax
point
of
this
film
hundreds
of
Rajinikanth
clones
(in
custom-made
wigs
with
scowls
and
grimaces
to
match)
fill
up
the
sumptuous
screen
space...One
Rajini
each
for
every
member
of
the
audience
to
take
home?
Bhai,
hum
aapke
hain
clone.
No
doubt
about
it.
Does
it
make
any
sense
to
try
to
make
sense
of
the
Rajinikanth
phenomenon?
Break
coconuts
on
your
head
in
exasperation
as
his
fans
break
them
as
auspicious
omens.
Rajinikanth
isn't
going
away
anywhere.
After
playing
the
super-hero
all
through
his
miraculous
rein
at
the
top
in
the
Dravidian
belt,
Rajini
(is
there
anything
he
Kanth?)
now
does
the
Superman
act
cloaked
quirkily
in
a
robotic
saga
that
salutes
Frankeinstein's
monster
even
as
it
creates
an
entirely
new
robotic
prototype,
who
can
cook,
look
and
even
hook
the
resplendent
Aishwarya
Bachchan.
There
is
a
delectable
irony
in
the
Robot
and
his
Master
(Rajinikanth,
in
a
double
role
and
we
aren't
counting
the
climactic
clones)
wooing
Aishwarya
with
unequal
vigour.
The
scientist-inventor
is
a
bit
of
a
workaholic
bore
while
his
invention,
the
robot
named
Chitthi
is
a
remarkably
aggressive
rogue,
offering
everything
except,
ahem
ahem,
sex
to
the
comely
leading
lady
who
quite
often
looks
bemused
and
amazed.
Our
response,
exactly.
Ever
wondered
what
a
really
big
blockbuster
looks
like
when
done
as
a
3-hour
rollercoaster
ride
of
kicks,
grunts
and
squeals
of
delight….The
last
response
evinced
from
the
child
within
the
audience.
In
the
newly
(re)invented
Rajinikanth,
we
have
the
perfect
blend
of
the
robotic
and
the
humanistic.
You
can't
but
marvel
at
the
tone
adopted
to
tell
this
tumultuous
tale
of
two
ceetees,
one
each
for
two
Rajinis.
Director
Shankar
leaves
no
stone
unturned
to
provide
the
theme
of
the
opposition
between
Man
and
Machine,
the
dynamics
of
a
doomsday
prophecy
done
in
a
deliciously
tongue-in-cheek
style…
non-stop.
None
of
the
goings-on
is
supposed
to
be
taken
seriously.
But
then
none
of
this
is
to
be
taken
lightly
either.
Robot
is
not
an
easy
film
to
make.
One
can
easily
say
that.
Director
Shankar
ventures
into
the
sci-fi
genre
with
the
gusto
of
a
child
visiting
a
gigantic
toy
store
in
an
alien
country
where
foreign
currency
is
not
easily
obtainable.
The
lavish
spectacle
that
unfolds
before
our
eyes
especially
in
the
last
half-hour
is
a
sight
that
leaves
us
open-mouthed.
This
is
virtual
reality
that
only
Rajinikanth
could
carry
off.
He
doesn't
need
to
'act'.
He
just
needs
to
make
his
presence
felt
in
ways
that
only
he
knows
how.
The
scripting
is
far
cleverer
than
it
outwardly
seems.
The
relentless
stress
on
keeping
the
proceedings
moving
ahead
of
the
audiences'
anticipation
does
not
take
away
from
the
basic
logistics
and
dynamics
of
an
entertainer
that
defies
all
laws
of
gravity.
Even
if
you
are
not
a
Rajinikanth
fan,
Robot
is
a
delightful
time-pass
entertainer
with
some
walloping
special
effects
and
a
whole
lot
of
spoofy
goings-on
that
don't
need
to
be
probed,
just
experienced.
Story first published: Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 15:49 [IST]