Its Rajni all the way in Sivaji

Finally, I did it! June 30, 2007- 11.30 AM- Padma A/c- Ernakulam. Me and 4 of my colleagues were in high spirits to catch a glimpse of the much awaited, much talked about and much anticipated "Sivaji". A Super Star film generates hysteria all right, but when you have Rajni teaming up with ace director Shankar, the highly revered production house of AVM and a host of technicians like A R Rahman (Music); K V Anand (Cinematography); Anthony (Editing); Thotta Tharani (Art Direction); Peter Hein (Stunts); Raju Sundaram, Prabhu Deva, Lawrence, Brinda (Choreography) and the like, expectations are even beyond "sky high". And whether, Sivaji lives up to all those expectations? The answer is a big YES! Sivaji is the story of its protagonist of the same name who is a wealthy and very successful software engineer in the US (Now, dont sneer- I know how difficult it is to imagine Rajni as a software engineer- thankfully for him and us, he does not get into the technicalities other than carrying a laptop whose password is voice enabled). Sivaji returns to India to spend his hard earned money on opening charitable educational institutions and hospitals, only to earn the wrath of Adiseshan (Suman). Adiseshan on his part is a very wealthy and manipulative entrepreneur who runs a host of, you guessed it right, educational institutions and hospitals that thrive on capitation fee and heavy service bills. The rest of the movie is about how Adiseshan tries to destroy Sivaji, how Sivaji loses everything only to resurface stronger and puts an end to Adiseshan's life. In the middle of all this, Sivaji also finds time to romance Tamizhchelvi (Shriya Saran) and gets married to her. The story is as old as the hills and the situations are predictable. But, it is to Rajni's credit to carry this massive film entirely on his shoulders and make it a fast paced entertainer. The superstar delivers and how. Rajni looks trim with Manish Malhothra's stylish costumes and some extremely well fitting imported wigs. The actor is in his late 50's and ends up looking as if he is in his early 40's. Remarkable indeed! Suman is menacing as Adiseshan. Shriya Saran does what is expected of a Rajni heroine. Manish Malhothra makes his presence felt once again when Shriya cavorts around in pastel shaded costumes with plunging necklines during the song sequences. Also, it is after a long time that we see Rajni getting up, close and personal with his heroine. Not to mention, this part of the movie is really jarring- one can make out for sure that the hero and heroine are at least 3 decades apart in age! Raghuvaran puts in a neat cameo and everyone else in the supporting cast do their best to support the Super Star. The highly talked about one song appearance of Nayanthara is nothing much to write home about. If there is one actor who manages the hog the limelight in spite of the presence of Rajni, it is Vivek who plays his uncle- cum- side kick. Vivek appears in the entire movie (barring the songs, of course) and takes good advantage of his debut appearance in a superstar movie. Thotta Tharani's art direction is remarkable, the opulent sets in the song sequences- "Vaaji Vaaji" and "Sahana saral" deserve special mention. Editing is crisp and photography is a feast for one's eyes. The choreographers have done their job well by bringing the best out of Rajni and Shriya. The way "Thee Thee" song has been shot is a good example here. A R Rahman's compositions are in tune with the expectations of the die hard Rajni fans. The lyricists (Vaali, Vairamuthu, Pa Vijay and Na Muthukumar) have done a good job with lines that praise the Super Star to the hilt. Peter Hein shines and his well choreographed stunt sequences are a treat to the eyes. The one involving Kanal Kannan at the music shop evokes laughter and another one in a workshop with Rajni and at least a 100 goons is real edge of the seat stunner. Sujatha's wit and intelligence come to the fore in his dialogues. Shankar churns out yet another biggie with corruption as its theme. Like his earlier superhits with the same theme (Gentleman, Indian, Muthalvan, Anniyan), this one also has a larger than life hero and a host of unrealistic situations. But, Shankar makes it all believable with the able support from Rajnikanth. However, there is no denying the fact that this is a Rajni film first and a Shankar film next. If you still don't understand why Rajnikanth is such a phenomenon, Sivaji is for you. And for all you die hard fans of the stylish superstar, all I can say is, it can't get any better than this!