A victim of his own hype

The wait is over. The much-awaited release of Rajinikanth’s ‘Kabali,’ a dream come true for his army of fans all over the world has taken place. With a new director, Pa Ranjith wielding the megaphone and a star cast not usually found in his kind of cinema, none could blame his burgeoning crowd of supporters for looking up to a thumping entertainer as they were already in a celebratory mood from the time the release date was announced after a slight delay. After all, it is a Thalaivar film, so went the argument.

What is the outcome then? Right at the outset, one feels that not many films of the Superstar must have faced this image dilemma of how much is too much, when it comes to showcasing the idol and to what extent should the screenplay allow him his indulgences to alternate between the young and the old roles? On his part, the actor himself has shown to be capable of delivering more than what is required of him, not really bothering about adhering to the grammar of commercial cinema, more often than not.

This time around, however, even the formidable titan seems to have tripped big time with ‘Kabali,’ the saga of a don who returns on an avenging mission. It is hamstrung by a wavy, incoherent treatment of the narrative and a back-and-forth travel of the screenplay, bogged down by an indecisive storyline. Basing the action and emotion component of the film in Malaysia, with its seedy crime and drug syndicates and positioning it against a crusader kind of a hero who builds his own gang to counter them is the only novelty factor which the director unravels.

Having the talented Radhika Apte by the side of the aging thespian and confining her to an ornamental character must have been a problem and hence, he anchors the hero’s emotions and tender feelings now and then in an incomplete sort of a relationship. Thrown in between these soft zones are the continuous attacks by the rivals who want to decimate the do-gooder who is out from jail with the same intention. This battle of wits, in fits and starts is what makes the entire film maintain its screen time.

With the last few releases of his not setting the box-office on fire, the pressure to hit the peak with a sure-fire formula with this movie must have weighed on the star and also the entire team which he cherry picked for his latest venture. In the end, the 152- minute film, easily the most publicised movie in Southern cinema industry, just crashes under the weight of its own expectations, which had been calibrated over time with timely teasers and brand promotions, each raising the feverish pitch.

Film Name : Kabali

Cast : Rajinikanth, Radhika Apte, Dhansika and Winston Chao
Direction : Pa Ranjith
Genre : Drama-action
Likes : Rajini in a new avatar
Dislikes : Treatment and indifferent screenplay

By K Naresh Kumar