Over the course of a long shooting schedule of over a year and a half, a lot of hype had been generated around 10 Enradhukulla. Plus, there was Vijay Milton’s experiment with a genre so different from that underrated gem, Goli Soda. Here’s our review. And here’s,
[mark]10 Takeaways[/mark]
[one_half]1. Plus: After the umpteen ‘bubbly’ (read: dumb) outings Samantha has worked her way through (Example: Anjaan and Kaththi), here’s a role that actually means something. Sure, she’s ‘bubbly’. But her role is arguably more important than Vikram’s. Towards the end, a surprising shade to her character emerges. Regardless of the film’s outcome, Samantha could easily claim this as her career-best performance. For now.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]2. Minus: The supporting cast. Like Rahul Dev. You actually feel sorry for him.
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[one_half]3. Plus: Pasupathy as the comic villain, Das. There are few actors in Tamil Cinema who can pull off a role which is simultaneously menacing and funny. Pasupathy is one of them. An underrated actor along the lines of Boman Irani, his portrayal of Das is quirky, and one of the highs in the film. His bewildered expression through the first half reflected our own cluelessness about where the film was going.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]4. Minus: The ‘Gaana Gaana Telengana’ song. The song is set in a dhaba in Renigunta, which isn’t anywhere in the vicinity of Telengana. What’s worse, this dhaba is decorated with glass bottles and candles hanging from the ceiling. Really? The waitresses, for some reason, wear medieval clothes and engage in a strip-game with customers. (I don’t want to know.) Seems like the sole purpose of the song is to act as a speed breaker in an already confusing first half.[/one_half_last]
[one_half]5. Plus: The storyline is different. Not that I’m a fan of films with cars and superpowers, like that over the top franchise, Fast and Furious. 10 Enradhukulla has a few tacky stunts. But the story weaves around it and that makes it an interesting watch. True, the screenplay in the first half leaves us lost and baffled. But there’s suspense in the confusion. And we are willing to be led into what turns out to be an entertaining second half.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]6. Minus: On the subject of tacky stunts. Now, no connoisseur of Tamil and Telugu cinema is new to otherworldly, physics-defying (or just throwing physics in the dustbin) stunts. Enough horsepower to toss heavily-built goons a 100 feet into the sky? Halt a speeding bullet? Take a full-speed U-turn which conveniently hits the villain? All in a day’s work for our heroes. By those standards, 10 Enradhukulla’s stunts are almost believable. But for the poor VFX. And Vikram’s expression. Which all but smirked, “Pfftt, this is easy”. Throughout.[/one_half_last]
[one_half]7. Plus: Vijay Milton’s cinematography. From the high octane car chases to the long range shots of gorgeous landscapes in Nepal and North India. It’s a pleasure looking through his camera lens.
SD Vijay Milton at10 Enradhukulla Press Meet
at10 Enradhukulla Press Meet[/one_half]
Recommended
[one_half_last]8. Minus: Vikram, who plays the errr..driver? He goes by names like James Bond, Mani Ratnam, Virat Kohli, and Robin Hood. Perhaps the common thread is a reputation of daredevilry. Vikram is certainly a daredevil driver. He has no inhibitions. He’s a carefree soul. It’s hard to take him seriously. Even when he’s talking about his ailing sister. Blame it on the role if you will, but Vikram simply doesn’t shine like his usual self in 10 Enradhukulla.[/one_half_last]
[one_half]9. Plus: That blue SUV. Modified to look like an ‘imported car’ (as the supporting cast reference it). It’s quite possibly the most important thing in the film. It’s gorgeous. I’m googling it right now.[/one_half]
[one_half_last]10. Minus: The VFX. It needs a second minus mention. Example: Samantha accelerates the go-karting car. She flies off the track and lands on the road. As if that weren’t unbelievable enough, there’s the Mahabharata-like VFX. We’re left looking at cartoons on a big screen.[/one_half_last]
Final thoughts: 10 Enradhukulla is enjoyable for the most part. But it needs to be said. I counted to 10, and nothing happened.
*****