Dasavathaaram - A Collection of Trailers, Images and News

I just can’t wait any longer! The wait is killing. Ever since Kamalhaasan announced his mega-project, Dasavathaaram, back in 2005, I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Dasavathaaram is a movie where Kamal will play 10 different characters. Not 10 different appearences, but 10 different characters, surpassing Sir Alec Guinness’s record of 8 characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), or more accurately the late Sivaji Ganesan’s record of 9 characters in Navarathiri (1964). The story is kept tightly under wraps, but some statements from the movie’s tech team point out that the movie has tie-ins of science and religion.

For you guys who are alien to Kollywood (the Tamil movie industry) happenings, here’s a small summary. Basically, Kollywood has 2 revered actors who command the respect of the whole movie industry. Rajinikanth, dubbed the Super Star, is an enigmatic character whose stylish presence in the silver screen has made him a legend among his peers. Kamalhaasan, on the other hand, is a man completely devoted to cinema and always tries to reinvent himself and experiment in the roles he plays. I adore both actors, but hold Kamalhaasan in higher regard due to his talent in acting. Click to read more about Rajini or Kamal.

Now, Kamalhaasan has potrayed literally dozens of different characters onscreen. A blind violinist, a drunken Bharathanatyam dancer, a commando and his deranged psychotic twin brother, 4 quadruplets separated at birth, a 70 year old ex-freedom fighter, a London educated man becoming a village chieftain, a man on a mission to assasinate Mahatma Ghandi, an old lady, a mob boss, and plenty more. Since the 90s, his rarely takes on same roles as before.

Here are some stuff that I pulled out of my ass. Actually, no. I pulled them out fromt the net.

• The genesis for Dasavatharam began with Kamal revisiting Sivaji Ganesan in Navarathari, where the thespian donned nine roles, triggering an entirely different narrative in our thespian’s fertile head, giving rise to ten roles set around the globe!

• The first version of Dasavatharam was written in the U.S, when Kamal was shooting for Vettaiyadu Vellaiyadu.

• Kamal on the plot: “Synthetic bio weapons, research and analysis wing, Kulothunga’s distaste for Vedanta, and Chaos theory!”

• The plot of Dasavatharam: When things start going wrong in a synthetic bio weapons lab in Washington DC, various international organizations became key players in a global cloak and dagger game. The White House, the CIA, the Indian PM’s office, environmentalists, terrorists, and other key players become part of a dangerous global hunt. Starting in the 12th century A.D. in the Chidambaram Temple complex in South India, the film will take you on a roller coaster ride across time and continents. The plot ranges form chaos theory to religious mythology to bio chemical warfare, dealing with a variety of philosophical and scientific elements all packaged into a thrill ride.

• Sony BMG marks its foray into the Tamil market with Dasavatharam audio

• Michael Westmore: make up effects man for First Blood, Rocky, Indian, Avai Shanmugi, does his most brilliant work here for Kamal – ten different guises, turning him into the President of the United States alone took six hours.

• Joop Katana –who the devil is Joop Katana you might ask. He’s the Hollywood stunt choreographer of 2 Fast 2 Furious and Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, who has now his best work for Dasavatharam, redefining what edge of the seat thrills means.

• Andy Jennings and Brian Dixon: Academy Award nominated special Fx technicians who have worked in several Hollywood films such as Ace Ventura, Mortal Kombat, Scary Movie, Exorcist: The Beginning now team up to dazzle us in Dasavatharam.

• Samir Chanda: the set designer of Rang De Basanti (recreating a college campus), Guru (Bombay in the 50s’) and Kisna (the fabulous palaces) recreates – among many dazzling sets – the White House!

• Mallika Sherawat plays a sexy CIA agent.

• Climax of the movie takes place at the Nehru stadium

• Kamal on the movie: “There is physics to karma – the several things that collide and connect us is explained just as well by chaos theory as karma. Big words apart, I have to confess the film is all about entertaining as large a cross section of the audience as possible. I think basically I am a cinema fan, and I have given you what I would like to see a sensible cinema fan. So, I think your intelligence will not be insulted, your time will not be wasted, and you will really enjoy this film.”

• Director K.S Ravikumar has the last word: “Kamal came to the screen at five and at fifty he is still here. And he will be here when he is hundred as well.”

It certainly looks like Dasavatharam does not take the aesthetics and the intelligence of the movie going public in India lightly, delivering an intelligent, racy thriller. A film bound to set a new benchmark in cinematic excellence and at the box office.

Source: 13 Things You Didn’t Know About Dasavatharam By Behindwoods News Bureau, BehindWoods.Com.

Here’s the trailer. You don’t need to understand Tamil to watch it coz it doesn’t have dialogues in it. You can catch glimpses of all the 10 characters being played. The last image on the bottom of this post has a detailed screen capture of those characters.

And here’s the tech team talking. Now this, is mostly in English, with maybe about 30% of Tamil in it. So don’t miss it.

And here’s a few of the images from Dasavathaaram. Source is Behindwoods.Com.

Click on the picture below for a larger size

I am TOTALLY waiting for the release date. I’d be there watching this movie for maybe at least 3 times. And I would gladly accept the company of anyone who would want to accompany me (on my 2nd show perhaps). Heck, I’d gladly buy you the ticket just so that I can help promote Kamal’s talent to you. Just say AYE!