Uttama Villain What a Mess ... Glorious, Noble and Compelling though !

Over the weekend, I was in Chennai trying hard to get tickets to the latest Kamal Hassan opus "Uttama Villian" which off course didn't happen with the finanical issues and the state government capping ticket prices to INR 120 only, if you book a ticket online, with service tax the princely amount goes to INR 150.  Damn I feel ripped off in Bangalore when even a morning show costs you INR 200.


Coming to my thoughts about the movie - SPOILERS AHEAD ! ( it is really a character driven movie rather than a coherent plot)

Synopsis 

Kamal Hassan plays Manorajan (Entertainment)  who is a sell-out superstar who makes masala movies for a living, drunkard, callous and also unfaithful having an affair with a much younger doctor Dr Arpana (Sacrifice) played by Andrea, married to a woman for 20 odd years just for the money aptly named Varalakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) played by the marvelous Urvashi.

On the same day, he gets two game changing news, he has a daughter from a previous affair and brain tumor which does not allow him many more days to live. So he decides to take control of his life and goes back to make a movie with his former mentor Margadarshi (Advisor / Guide) played by real life mentor and directorial legend K Balachandar for one last movie from the heart and not purse strings.

The names of characters do seem to be on the nose on their motivations but it does work rather well.

What Does Not Work 

• The movie is very slow at 2 hours and 52 minutes, I believe it has been trimmed by 15 minutes already. 
• The screenplay is so self indulgent with Hindi, Mayalam, Telugu and Pure Tamil been used interchangeably even the more bi-multilingual audience member will miss several scenes due to loss in translation (Hey Ram once again)
• Although the portions as part of Movie in Movie set in the 8th century was supposed to be rocking comedy, you barely get few smiles on the jokes if one is charitable 
• K Balachander due to bad health couldn't dub his lines so it clearly shows a disconnect 
• Too many songs
• Ramesh Arvind though credited as director seems completely seems ghost directed by Kamal Hassan

What Does Work    

• Kamal delivers a knock-out performance which acknowledges his age and the banality of 50+ year super-stars romancing young girls in dude masala flicks 
• Lots of self referential jokes on his own career, in a way its an ode to the wonderful relationship between Kamal and his mentor K Balachandar
• Hard hitting reality of how one reconciles to impending death and how priorities change so quickly 
• The juxtaposition of Manorajan who is dying in real-life while Uttama played in the movie within the movie is an Immortal (Mitrunjaya) is an beautiful irony 
• There are several scenes which can best be described as poetry in motion, the use of mirrors, metaphors of removing make-up during a key revelation , looking at his family from a window and a game of catching the ball during a difficult discussion with his son. my descriptions cannot do justice to the scenes so I will not even try.

What will stay with me ? 

Will the movie make money, probably not but this is a master-class acting by Kamal Hassan who can conceive, execute and bank-roll this venture. 

The complexity of a lout / sinner (villain) who finds his Uttama (Nobility) in his dying days just opened my eyes how we view life and suffering as life-long but the life-span of a human is so short and we really do know what our priorities are. 

Love is complex and each relationship has its own ups and downs but what matters is expressing it on time before its too long.

Life is short and none of us are immortal but what we achieve in life can and will make us immortal, so make each day count