Thandavam (Dance: தாண்டவம், Tamil; 2012)
I never really fancied Vikram (a.k.a. Chinaaya Kennedy) and his over the top overacting. One friend told me to view as it is supposed to different from his previous flicks. Unconvinced, I gave it a go anyway, but I beg to differ with his opinion. It is the same broody guy carrying the whole world's worry on his shoulders (like in Anniyan). And he is blind on top of it (like in Kasi). And trust the Indian masala to extrapolate the technique of echolocation, which was devised to help the visually handicapped to move around without knocking into things by hearing the echo of their voice, to be used instead by a blind ex-intelligence officer to become a vengeful killer! (A walking blind killer machine)
It starts with a 2011 New Year bomb blast in Tower Bridge London. A year later, people are seen leaving flowers at a monument erected to commemorate the dead. So is a blind man, Vikram, who is seen playing the organ in a church later.
It starts with a 2011 New Year bomb blast in Tower Bridge London. A year later, people are seen leaving flowers at a monument erected to commemorate the dead. So is a blind man, Vikram, who is seen playing the organ in a church later.
Then there is a beauty parade. Sarah Vinayakam (Amy Jackson, a regular Tamil film actress) wins, and she tries to promote herself by performing public service. That lands her at the same church as Kenny (Vikram), and she develops a soft spot for him as most compassionate girls do in any Tamil film, of course after crossing each other's path. Of course, you cannot blame me, a child of the 80s, for comparing this performance to that of Kamalhasan in 'Raja Paarvai', a 80s' film of a blind musican.
Kenny has a dark side where he goes on a killing spree of certain prominent individuals in London. Santhanam (the comedian with the irritating whiny voice) as Satyan plays a cab driver who seems to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and is initially thought to be involved in the killings. Nasseer as Veerakathi is a Sri Lankan Tamil speaking English police chief.
One of Kenny's killings goes wrong, and all three (Kenny, Sarah and Satyan) go into hiding. The real reason for the massacre is told.
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| Amy Jackson, Ms Liverpool 2009 and Runners up Ms England 2010 |
Kenny is actually Shivakumar, an intelligence officer in Delhi. He is summoned to his own wedding by his mother when he receives his own wedding card! He, a totally obedient every Indian mother dream child, just does his designated duty of trying the matrimonial knot. The wife, a high flying ophthalmologist (Anushka Shetty as Meenachi), more interested in her work rather than conjugal mess tells her new husband to keep his hands to himself, thinking that he is a lowly cop! Of course, the hubby surprises her in his own teenage love smitten cheesy ways that she turns into a love vixen.
Too long a good thing cannot last. Shiva has to go on a secret undercover mission to London to get his hands on a hard drive which carries some sensitive information and at same time sniff out some rogues in the department.
In London, he finds out that he had been double-crossed by his best friend. His wife who makes a surprise visit to London to wish Siva birthday wishes perishes in a bomb blast which is blamed squarely on him. He is blinded by shrapnel while trying to save his wife. Siva is labelled as a dangerous terrorist. His mother succumbs to a heart attack after hearing that her pristinely pure son could do such a travesty to the motherland. Sivakumar assumes a different identity and goes into hiding.
Too long a good thing cannot last. Shiva has to go on a secret undercover mission to London to get his hands on a hard drive which carries some sensitive information and at same time sniff out some rogues in the department.
In London, he finds out that he had been double-crossed by his best friend. His wife who makes a surprise visit to London to wish Siva birthday wishes perishes in a bomb blast which is blamed squarely on him. He is blinded by shrapnel while trying to save his wife. Siva is labelled as a dangerous terrorist. His mother succumbs to a heart attack after hearing that her pristinely pure son could do such a travesty to the motherland. Sivakumar assumes a different identity and goes into hiding.
| Loves the man's job, not the man! |
Now coming back to the present time, Sayan and Sarah clear Siva's name and shows Veerakathi the real killer and story. Siva's name is cleared by the British courts, but Siva decides to stay in London and not return to India as his true love lies buried there in England...
Now, what is so special about that?
Vikram and all the male stars continue to churn out mentally unstimulating flicks these using pretty faces which do not usually make it past it into double digits of successful movies. We, the audience, are guilty are trying to ignite the production more of this kind of trash.
I must change my informants... As I do in most intelligence challenging films, I watched it by fast forwarding the dance-song scenes as the death-defying fighting scenes! It saved a lot of time and unnecessary anxiety.
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