By:
Settu
Shankar
Friday,
June
15,
2007
What
is
the
expectation
of
a
Rajini
fan
from
his
'Thalaivar'
superstar's
film?
Extraordinary
action
with
punch
dialogues
which
excite
the
audience,
impeccable
comedy,
a
decent
romance
without
any
awkward
posturing,
and
finally
a
right
message
for
the
society
are
the
trademark
of
a
standard
Rajini
film.
Shivaji,
the
biggest
production
in
the
history
of
Indian
cinema,
is
laced
with
all
the
above
mentioned
ingredients
in
right
proportions
and
above
all
the
mannerisms
and
the
new
look
of
Rajini
with
a
bald
head
really
rocks
the
viewers.In
fact
one
is
treated
to
a
fair
dose
of
fresh
new
styles
from
Rajinikanth;
the
famous
cigarette
flick
is
replaced
by
a
flick
of
a
chewing
gum
and
a
one-rupee
coin.
But
remember
beneath
all
this
superstar
hype,
the
movie
is
directed
by
Shankar,
and
he
sometimes
seems
obsessed
with
exhibiting
extreme
and
impractical
ways
of
fighting
a
corrupt
system
in
reel
life,
like
he
has
done
with
Shivaji.
This
time
he
has
focussed
on
black
money
and
the
hawala
racket,
and
of
course
the
oft-repeated
rags-to-riches
storyline,
so
typical
of
a
Rajinikanth
flick.
Rajini's
introduction
on
screen
in
this
film
is
not
as
sensational
as
some
of
his
recent
hits,
and
the
highlight
of
the
first
half
is
comedy.
It's
the
first
time
that
Rajinikanth
has
got
together
with
comedian
Vivek
on
screen
and
their
chemistry
has
worked
well.
But
it
becomes
apparent
that
Vivek
has
overacted
in
a
few
scenes.
The
makers
of
Rajini
film
have
not
forgotten
one
thing;
the
fans
coming
to
see
their
Thalaivar
only.
A
director
must
always
portray
the
supestar
as
a
demi-
god,
and
ensure
his
presence
on
screen
in
a
major
portion
of
the
film
That
is
why
the
fans
start
fretting
and
whistling
over
Vivek
or
Shreya
portions
which
sometimes
seem
to
undermine
the
superstar's
presence
in
the
film.
For
a
Rajini
movie
watcher,
Rajini
is
all-conquering
in
reel
life.
They
accept
even
his
ludicrous
stunts,
such
as
a
somersault,
flying
in
the
air,
brandishing
his
shoes
to
beat
up
the
villains,
or
lighting
up
of
a
cigarette
with
his
gun-
without
even
batting
their
eyelids.
The
pre-interval
scenes
appear
far
removed
from
the
main
plot,
which
makes
it
somewhat
boring
for
the
audiences.
But
the
director
has
more
than
made
up
for
this
lacunae
through
some
well-executed
action
sequences,
and
of
course
the
inimitable
mannerisms
of
Rajinikanth
regale
the
audiences.
What
is
the
story?
Shivaji
is
a
US
returned
NRI
who
wants
to
do
something
for
his
motherland,
but
a
corrupt
system
prevalent
in
the
country
put
many
impediments
in
his
quest
for
the
same.
Suman,
the
man
in
a
white
costume
with
a
wicked
heart
tries
to
kill
Shivaji
in
every
possible
way.
The
remaining
portion
of
the
film
is
about
how
Shivaji
overcomes
all
these
hurdles
and
does
good
for
the
people,
by
flushing
out
all
black
money
circulating
in
the
economy.
The
plot
actually
begins
to
unfold
only
after
the
intermission,
and
Shankar
treats
you
to
a
truly
filmy
way
of
fighting
black
money
and
a
corrupt
system,
just
like
he
did
in
his
first
film
Gentleman
or
Indian,
Mudhalvan,
and
many
other
films.
But
there
is
nothing
new
in
Shankar's
script,
and
once
again
he
seems
to
follow
the
beaten
track.
However,
the
climax
is
an
extended
portion
but
is
interesting,
and
the
action
and
a
brand-new
look
of
the
superstar
really
stuns
everyone.
Even
a
non-
Rajini
fan
will
enjoy
his
stylish
looks
and
imposing
dialogue
delivery.
Next