Terror with nuance

This time, Haasan is careful not to alienate us, the audience. He makes sure that he is not going to put us off by donning ten disguises and forcing us to choose between his 'dashavatars'. He alternated between a mincing dance teacher, a bearded Mujaheedin, and a leather jacketed, clean-cut fellow, who gets to say, "I am neither a hero nor a villain. Neither a good guy nor a bad guy".

This is a Kamal Haasan who is not heavy on the system, because he is part of a story we are involved in, even if he does get more screen time than anyone else. The bang-bang shoot outs, the whole dirty-bomb in America and the Muslim terrorist angle, are familiar, but done with an eye. And I'm very pleased to report that in keeping with the general tone of the film, the FBI is shown just like the Hindi cinema cops who always show up last. Basically, the buffoons, only there to help the big, brave hero.

In a satisfactory comic book, everything comes out right. This is a fill it-shut it-forget-it film, whose big budget slickness never overpowers it, and which holds you while it lasts. Ooh, should I get offended by that?

ALSO READ

The Cannes Kaleidoscope

Rihanna poses in Marilyn Monroe style

Harold & Kumar get animated

Divyendu Sharma bags his first solo lead in Zaleem Dilli