The ten avathars - Dasavatharam.

I have been waiting to write this entry on kamal's magnum opus 'Dasavatharam'.
Everyone knows by this time, the various roles, that he has done in the film. Many roles of his would have already been making waves by now. Some would have come for sharp criticism. The one that has taken everybody by surprise is the role of fletcher's.
People liken this to that of arnold schwarzanegger in 'The Terminator'. So powerful and happening, it has overtaken the 95 year old krishnaveni's character.
Initially, from the music and the chaotic nature of the film, i had a feeling that the movie's hype would die down soon. But it was not to be. kamal's avathars have overtaken them all. But recent email forwards about the movie have been very encouraging. word of mouth information about subtle indications of the ten incarnations of vishnu would help in its promotion, especially during the period when kuselan would start off.
When an actor does 10 roles in a movie, its difficult for him to adapt and give different voices to each of the characters. Something which kamal has done it in style. It would have been really difficult for the kamal fan to digest the two-liner that kamal had said during a recent public function. It went something like this - "Rajni is the king and amitabh is the emperor. But i believe in democracy".
How true !
coming back to dasavatharam, let's sort the best roles in order.
The first one would definitely be fletcher. considering the difficulty in coming out with the body language and language of an american - as well as the jaw dropping stunts. The second would have to be that of Boovaragan, the dalit leader. The tirunelveli accented role was one that kamal had not done much in the past. Then the unimaginable krishnaveni 'patti'. How did he pull this one off ? The style and especially the dialogues just before she(oh yeah, he) is about to place the vial into the idol. The mannerisms when she leaves the verandah etc., are absolutely characteristic of an old iyengar lady. But was she not too fast for her age ? I felt so, but then, it must have been done deliberately as she was a part of the humour feast which k.s.ravikumar was offering us. Then its the comic role of balaram naidu, the intelligence guy. Pucca comedy from kamal. wholesome entertainment. The roles of govindarajan - the scientist, or that of the tall muslim or that of avatar singh was not a tough thing at all. But yes, the screen chemistry between jayaprada and kamal was nostalgic. Loved jayaprada for that dance & yes, kamal too.
The first character of rangarajan nambi was not too bad but follows the rest. The japanese character, that of george bush, had little presence but had importance in the story. But what disappoints is the make-up and music. Hope that kamal's screen presence pulls it all off :-)