Enna Avamanam (what a disgrace).
There were just seven people (eight initially, but one guy vanished) for the opening 8:30PM ET show of Unnaipol Oruvan in the U.S. on Thursday at Anil Ambani’s crappy theatre Movie City, Edison.
Of the seven, three didn’t think much of this movie. Yes, all three had seen A Wednesday, the fine Bollywood movie of which Unnaipol Oruvan is a remake.
Enna Kodumai (What Agony)
Compared to A Wednesday (as it inevitably will be), Unnaipol Oruvan is a crude piece of shit with none of the suspense, none of the drama, and most importantly none of the sui generis acting of the Bollywood stalwarts Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher.
Kamal Haasan (in a vain attempt at reprising Naseeruddin Shah’s role) and Mohan Lal (who plays Anupam Kher’s role here, i.e. the Police Commisioner) are podi pasanga (kids) compared to their Hindi counterparts.
Kamal Haasan – Utter Farce
Completely oblivious to our howls of pain, merciless in his cannibalistic orgy of the audience’s flesh, and heedless to our repeated pleas for relief, Kamal Haasan in Unnaipol Oruvan delivers a horribly bad and totally unconvincing performance.
Not remotely credible as the terrorist and comically unconvincing as Unnaipol Oruvan (common man), it’s incredible that this Ulaga Madayan oops Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan is marking 50 years in films. Only in Incredible India.
With his ridiculously phony accent when he slips into English, too much blah blah blah in every call to the police chief, affected gestures and gross overacting, Kamal Haasan just does not allow for the buildup of the suspense and tension the way Naseeruddin Shah did so beautifully in A Wednesday.
When Kamal Haasan’s character tells the Police Commissioner in the first call (??): I’m sure you are aware of the Czech state of the art explosives C4 we felt like crying at the stupidity of it all.
If Naseeruddin Shah was a treat in every scene he featured in in the Hindi version, Kamal Haasan proves to be a torment.
Naseeruddin Shah brought charm and elan even to simple scenes like standing on the terrace of the tall building, calmly replacing a SIM card, disposing off the old one down a long pipe and pouring himself a cup of tea from a flask.
In not one scene in Unnaipol Oruvan did Kamal Haasan deliver the acting goods.
If Unnaipol Oruvan is our reward for supporting this bozo for 50 long years in films, it’s the occasion not for celebration but time to gather the logs for the funeral – of art.
Mighty Poor Execution
Unnaipol Oruvan’s story hews mostly to the original plot of A Wednesday but it’s in the execution that director Chakri Toleti, Kamal Haasan, Mohan Lal et al stumble.
They trip right into the opening scenes, fall flat on their faces into the mud, and never recover.
The clashes between Mohan Lal’s character and Lakshmi’s character of Chief Secretary at the height of a terrorism crisis just didn’t fit into the movie at all. Plain silly.
None of the dialogs in the Tamil version pack of punch of the muscular words in A Wednesday. Completely effete, particularly the conversation between the Police Commisioner and our ‘Terrorist.’
The final scene in A Wednesday had a touch of class. Au contraire, the meeting between the Police Commisioner and our common man in Unnaipol Oruvan at the end had a touch of crass.
As a young boy, Chakri Toleti messed up the pictures in Salangai Oli. As a grown up, Chakri Toleti messed up the full picture in Unnaipol Oruvan.
How’s that for continuity?
Mohanlal – Depressing
A veteran of dozens of Malayalam movies, Mohanlal is a big letdown here.
Anupam Kher brought a sense of urgency to the Police Commissioner’s office during the terrorism crisis adding to the tension.
All that Mohanlal brought to Unnaipol Oruvan was a perpetual frown. And a bad one at that.
Mohan Lal has taught us one key lesson – Not to think highly of all actors from Kerala.
Others – A Joke
As our neighbor said outside the theatre, even the side actors did very well in A Wednesday.
How True.
Jimmy Shergill, Aamir Bashir and Deepal Shaw brought credit to themselves in A Wednesday. Even the four terrorists, who had a limited role in A Wednesday, turned in a good job.
The bozos in Unnaipol Oruvan just drew sniggers.
God, what was the necessity to introduce that hag Lakshmi here. A total waste of film stock. The woman was tolerable when she was young because there was at least the blossom of youth to ogle at. That grimalkin now belongs in a kennel.
Shruti Hassan = Zero
To write any more about this coasting-on-her-connections little twit would be a waste of bandwidth, your time and ours.
Skip This Movie
Folks, unless you’ve taken leave of your senses, unless money is burning a mighty big hole in your pocket, unless you suffer from mastilagnia, stay away from this wanton insult that goes by the name Unnaipol Oruvan.
Hesitate not to extend the middle finger to this bunch of dilettantes.
@swagath: “strynglad [trash talk] if you have a itch in ur P**l and want someone to namikufy that then there are always enough [trash talk] in this blog go and [trash talk] with them”
If I recall right, you initiated the trash talk, kiddo!
“dont ever bring ur stincky ass to me”
I believe yours stinks sordidly enough for you or maybe you have your demi-god, aka Kamal’s stinky ass to stick your tongue into until kingdom come?
“enna sonna
“You and what army is going to make me pee my pantsâ€
[trash talk]”
That’s exactly what I said. Can’t help it if you cannot comprehend what I said, moron!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Bravo.
You write about Shruti, but where did she come in the movie? Or were you taking about the background score? Not an attack, just curious. I saw the movie, and, probably because I didn’t see A Wednesday, liked it. I may see the Hindi version soon, though…
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write above: You write about Shruti, but where did she come in the movie?
How did you miss the kosu (mosquito) hovering around Kamal Haasan for the length of the movie.
Seriously, we were writing about the background score.
This gal can’t walk and chew vettalae-pak (betel leaf) at the same time.
Do review more of Kamal’s movies SI..
For example, Virumandi, Indian, Aboorva Sagodharargal..!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Will do.
We liked Virumandi not for Kamal Haasan but for Pasupathy’s performance.
I didn’t watch Virumandi fully.. But i felt Kamal did throw in a decent performance..!!!
Oh yeah.. Pasupathy was AWESOME..
.. He does all his roles really well..!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Unfortunately, Pasupathy does not seem to be getting the roles his talent deserves.
If only, he’d daub a little Fair & Lovely on that black hole a.k.a as his face, that might do the trick.
I guess tamil audiences want entertainment rather than real acting.. !!
Entertainment here refers to Inane songs, bunch of stupid fights, punch dialogs and a big star like for example Vijay.. associated with it..!!!
which explains y ATM, Kuruvi(the bozos celebrated its 120 day run in theatres :O) and Villu became hits..!!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We are skeptical that ATM, Kuruvi and Villu were hits.
Or did you mean to say ‘shits‘ and accidentally missed the ‘s.’
I’m not sure abt ATM.. But Villu and Kuruvi were hits..
I mean… what has become of the tamil film industry.. they celebrated the SUCCESS(??) of Kuruvi .. It seems it ran for about 120 days in the theatres..!!????!!
To think that people pay to watch such TRASH..!!
..!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Until we are presented with solid proof, we refuse to accept that Kuruvi and Villu were hits.
Tamils are stupid but not that stupid as to turn these garbage into hits.
SI , DON’T believe the 1010000 post, both Villu and Kuruvi are flops and ATM utter flops in Taminadu . :d
But it was made run for 150 days because of Udhayanidhi Stalin. He is Deputy CM Stalin’s son.
Even Adhavan is produced by udhayanidhi so i am hoping for another 150 days poster :d
SearchIndia.com Responds:
They were just sexcesspool movies.
No, we won’t believe Villu, Kuruvi and ATM were successful until we are shown credible proof.
just checking whether smiley’s are working
:X
SearchIndia.com Responds:
2 out of 3.
my fav. smiley on SI is
Stands out from the yellow bastards.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We need a good ‘ugly smiley’ for the yellow monkeys. Preferably yellow.
————
Boy, it’s already feeling chilly here.
@Arshard2
By “hits” i just meant that those bozos recovered the money they put in for those (s)hits..
.. maybe in the first few weeks since the release of the movie!!!
Yeah.. they made the movies run for abt 120 days..!!
Just coz Udayanidhi Stalin produced it.!
UNF**KINGBELIEVABLE . . .!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
As if his productions were not bad enough, we read reports of Udayanidhi Stalin dipping his toes into the acting thing. Ha ha ha ha.
BTW SI . . Do review Virumandi movie!!!
And did u check if Duet is available in Netflix.?
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Netflix doesn’t have Duet. They only have the plural version, featuring Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Udayanidhi Stalin dipping his toes into ACTING?
Seriously?
OMG.. That would mark the doom of the already sinking Tamil film industry
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Well, if Vishal can scream like a hyena (toward the end of Sathyam), Udhayanidhi Stalin can do the same.
I just saw the crucial scenes from UPO…
where Kamal explains to Lal y he wanted the terrorists dead..!!
VERY POOR EXECUTION .. I hate to say this but Kamal and Mohanlal looked like rank amateurs .. First time I’m disappointed seeing Lal ettan (brother),as he s fondly called in Kerala, on screen. The magic that Shah n Anupam Kher brought to the same scene in A Wednesday was totally lost here..!!!
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write: The magic that Shah n Anupam Kher brought to the same scene in A Wednesday was totally lost here
Agree 100%.
Something from behindwoods.com which may interest you
UPO or “A Wednesday”- Which is better?
http://www.behindwoods.com/features/visitors-1/unnaipol-oruvan-19-10-09.html
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Interesting.
We still feel that A Wednesday is a far superior film.
Kamal Haasan’s actions seemed far too contrived for us, lacked the natural flair Nasseeruddin Shah brought to the Hindi version.
Other Flaws in “A Wednesday†that have been corrected in UPO
• Commissioner demanding the Chief Secretary to come within 15 minutes
• The Hindi version shows a huge bomb squad arriving, immediately searching the place where the bomb is kept and diffusing on their own- all these happen within 15 minutes
• Commissioner Anupam is shown extracting information from the agent himself. Also, the agent lets out the information on just seeing Arif, what is the background for the same?
• The cops make no effort to move the reporter from the police station area.
• Naseer’s photo is shown in Intelligence report. Not sure how his name figured in such a short time. Dialogues like even his wife does not know what he is doing are strange. That means you have got the man too!
• The cop telling the Commissioner “we are always one step behind the terrorists†is demeaning.
• Arif comes in police jeep to catch the arms guy, thus allowing him to escape.
• Even in scene where the credit card lady calls, Anupam interrupts her after a long time.
• Location: The choice of an old airport over a secured newly laid Juhu Airbase is good indeed.
• Using traditional techniques to draw sketches
• The reporter sees a police escort vehicle passing her vehicle in the Juhu Airbase.
• Vehicle Choice: The choice of the vehicle to escort the terrorists is done better in UPO. Also, in Wednesday all terrorists are only handcuffed. They could possibly launch an attack.
• Asking terrorists to stay near the bench was not a good option.
• Basis: The narratives (flashbacks) by the terrorist and the common man were not gripping
Welcome Additions in UPO
1) Better use of facts- Kandahar, 26/11, Meenambakkam, Sri Perumbudur, Coimbatore and Best Bakery. Tied all these together well.
2) Armory room scene: Good addition of scenes and dialogues.
3) Having the IIT drop out fact in UPO lent more credibility to the hacker role.
4) Terrorist locations: Keeping terrorist in different place (Bangalore) is well thought too.
5) Making the cop Sethu to rehearse before communicating to the media and the Commissioner viewing what was captured during the recording.
6) Making changes in script post 26/11- Bullet shields and familiarity with call routing techniques.
7) Religion based: The way Mohan Lal tries to find out if Kamal is Hindu or Muslim repeatedly
9) Last scene- totally different. In Hindi, you are not able to figure why Anupam develops a soft corner for Naseer suddenly.
Scenes where Wednesday is better than UPO
1) Call tracing was better shown in Wednesday.
2) Before bomb diffusing scene, Anupam’s dialogue to cop Jai brings out how the cops are ready to sacrifice their lives.
3) Presentation: The presentation about the terrorists is much better in Wednesday. It explains what they did in various parts of India.
4) Chase scene where Arif catches arms guy. Having the arms guy caught by police was better than having him in ICU and getting him discharged to general ward.
5) Some dialogues in Ending scene by Naseer- some dialogues were too good, The way Naseer tells that my wife is afraid when I go out, she calls me every 2 hrs to see if I am fine, we are resilient by force and not by choice, common man was taking care of household, should I wait for something to happen to my family member to take action were very good. UPO has omitted some of these intentionally because they were not relevant from a Tamil Nadu context.
http://www.behindwoods.com/features/visitors-1/unnaipol-oruvan-19-10-09.html
your answer??
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. Hey, what’s the big hurry. Only 40-days have passed since our review.
You should have waited another 40 weeks before posting your comment.
Has no one ever taught you the virtue of timeliness?
2. In your logorrheic comment (above), you forgot the most important part that we highlighted in our review: Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher are far superior actors compared to Kamal Hassan(s) and Mohan Lal.
3. By looking at the trees, you are missing the woods i.e. the Big Picture, literally and figuratively in this instance.
A Wednesday was a slick, original, thoroughly enjoyable affair. Au contraire, Unnaipol Oruvan had a crude look and feel.
Who gives a f*ck about your flaws like vehicle choice, use of traditional techniques to draw sketches, credit card lady’s call et al. They are all insignificant to the big picture.
4. The flaws if any in A Wednesday are minor and do not detract from the enjoyment of the movie.
Definitely, UPO scores over Wednesday, in most of the film making aspects as clearly evident from our analysis
http://www.behindwoods.com/features/visitors-1/unnaipol-oruvan-19-10-09.html
???
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Dream on, it ain’t no sin.