Finally got a chance to view "Anniyan" after all that waiting. I have been following blogs and reviews of the movie for a few weeks and had a pretty good idea of what was in store. Most reviews and particulary blogs tended to be biased on a "pro" or "anti" Shankar or Vikram or not surprisingly A.R. Rahman. Kollywood films seem to be smitten with the Hollywood agenda of pre-publicising blockbusters so much that they beat it to death. The gala opening shot celebrations, audio releases and miscellany builds up so much hype that it ensures the film will be described with varying degrees of disappointment upon release.
But one has to admit that Anniyan is nevertheless a thought-provoking film and I am sure that every person who watched the film did atleast for a few seconds ponder about the little trangressions that they committed in some stage of their lives. Thinking about the inspration for the film I was wondering whether Shankar was in fact influenced by the 1995 hollywood blockbuster "Se7en" aka Seven starring a brilliant Morgan Freeman and a more than mediocre Brad Pitt. The similarities seem to stem from the fact that Anniyan talks about the "garuda puranam" where there are graphic descriptions of the punishments that awaits sinners in hell, whereas the same ideology was portrayed in Seven based on "Divine Comedy" of Dante Alighieri where he talks about the seven cardinal sins in order of increasing severity: gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia, vain glory, and pride. While the John Doe (Kevin Spacey) of Seven was a mentally deranged serial-killer, Ramanujam (Vikram) of Anniyan is the righteous middle-class brahmin who brings out his pent-up anger against an egocentric society in the form of an almost comic-book like action hero cum vigilante who takes the law in his own hands. The other film that comes to mind is "Fight Club" where a brilliant Edward Norton worms out of his disillusioned life by creating his own world of illusion which sprials him into oblivion.
Nevertheless Anniyan excels in many qualities and breaks the stereotypes in Indian and in particular Tamil cinema. Shankar has penned a good storyline and has used his talents to keep the audience engrossed. Sujatha's dialogues are reliable and does not let one down. Vikram has matured as an actor and Anniyan adds another feather to his cap and reiterates the fact that he is undisputedly one of the finest actors to have graced the Tamil cine industry. He provides another stellar performance as Ambi, Remo and Anniyan silencing his critics who scoffed at his performance in "Pithamagan" as being a mere tear-jerker. He excels in the showdown scene with Prakashraj in the interrogation rooms where he effortlessly ping-pongs between Anniyan and Ambi. Sadha gives a good act as Nandini and barring a few scenes is reduced to a glamour-puss. Prakashraj puts in a cameo as the cop who is directly affected by Anniyan's deeds and emotes with control and as usual keeps the audience praising his qualities as a character actor. At a time when Tamil cinema went stale in the comedy section, Vivek came as a fresh breeze into the industry. He essays a very good task of keeping the comic relief going and as usual tries to provide the thought-provoking comic lines. The casting is excellent and the choice of actors for the various roles was picture perfect be it Kalabhavan Mani as the "blood-sucking" landlord, Saurabh Shukla as the avaricious industrialist, Nasser as the physchiatrist or Cochin Hanifa as the abscondong mototrist who becomes the first vitim of Anniyan. The visual effects in the movie are breathtaking and the fights are brilliantly choreographed justifying the huge budget of the film. Anniyan once gain proves the coming of age of Tamil cimema with the brilliant cast and crew of Anniyan.
Turning to music, Harris Jayaraj has done a excellent job and must be lauded for his efforts. I came across a few "unfair" reviews and blogs that undermine his effort and have given him a raw deal. Many feel that A.R. Rahman may have made a big difference, but I beg to differ. A.R.R is undoubtedly a good music director but he has had his fair share of failures too. The mentality of the biased music lovers in Tamil Nadu is like the nations mentality when it comes to cricket "If Tendulkar can't score a century in every match then India is doomed". The same is the truth with the music scene, "if it's not A.R.R then it's not music". Frankly, I have come to the conclusion that A.R.R is becoming more of a fashion statement and people are addicted to brand selling more than quality. Harris Jayaraj has scored some excellent music in the past and Anniyan is no exception. Andankaka Kondakari with Jassi Gift's infectious voice is my top-pick. Kadhal Yannai and Kannnum Kannum are racy and fit well in the story line.
As in any film there are some let-downs and Anniyan does not escape the radar in that aspect. The song choroegraphy is amatuerish and sometimes downright pathetic. The Kannum Kannum Nokia song reminded me of the action songs sung by preschool kids, where every word in the lyric is acted out and even such a small lapse in detail seems gargantuan in a film of epic proportions. Shankar is not able to explain the physical changes between Ambi, Remo and Anniyan which happens in a jiffy including the change in attire. But hey, it's a film and once has to remeber that if the message is thought-provoking and is appreciated and absorbed by the masses, then it worth all the effort.
In final analysis Anniyan will be a force that changes the outlook of people and make them think positively. The technical brilliance and the collective effort for this venture has to be appreciated. Shankar has rebounded well and energetically from the beating he took with "Boys"and delivers another magnum opus. But one has to reconcile with that fact that corruption, greed, avarice and selfishness are part of the human psyche and that it will take more than an Indian, Mudalvan or Anniyan to change society.
