Uttama Villain Review

Watching a Kamal Hassan film can be a literary experience, a cinematic experience, a social experience and a psychological experience - all rolled into one.  His acting style comes with a thought.  His acting sense oozes a directorial touch.  A scene can be more than what it seems. In the case of 'Uttama Villain', a good lot of the writing borders on the allegorical.  As if his acute 'Hey Ram' sense and 'Vishwaroopam' Midas Touch were not enough, there is something else in bonus: Referential entertainment.

It's  a juxtaposition of contrasts.  Contrasts can be metaphorical at places.  The poetic imagination shows itself and it shows well. However, this is not the whole of the story.  There is an antithesis, much as mortality has immortality as its antithesis in this film (or better say, the film within the film).  Splendid imagination co-exists with lacklustre filmmaking.

Manoranjan(Kamal Haasan) is the reigning superstar of cinema and he was mentored by director Margadarsi(K Balachandar), but for the past twenty five years he has been known to be doing crass against class cinema.  He is in the throes of his father-in-law and producer (K. Viswanath).  Manoranjan has it all a doting wife (Urvashi), an adolescent son (Manohar) and an affair with a doctor Arpana (Andrea).

Things threaten to go haywire when two separate incidents occur at the same time that completely change  Manoranjan ‘s life and his view of it.

Manoranjan goes to his guru Margadarsi and pleads with him to make a film based on his screenplay and after some reluctance the director agrees to make ‘Uttama Villain’ in which the Theiyam artiste Uttaman (Kamal Haasan) who escapes from the jaws of death many times due to some divine intervention and he becomes a legend as Mritunjayan or the one who is immortal. An evil King Mutharasan (Nasser), who gains the Kingdom after killing the King, who is his brother in law and imprisons the princess after attempting to marry her. Mutharasan learns from astrologers that his life is in danger and hence brings Uttaman in the hope of extracting his immortality. What happens to Uttaman and Manoranjan  is told parallel in the screenplay that leads to a riveting climax.

Kamal Haasan oozes charisma as Manoranjan the superstar who may be acting in real life, too.  The scene where Manoranjan and his daughter meet is surely one of the finest moments. When it is reconciliation time, Kamal shows his acting 'vishwaroopam'. As the actor within actor's life, Kamal is grace personified.

Balachander is there in the entire story and leaves a lasting imprint and so does K.Viswanath. Urvashi gives a realistic performance as the star wife.

The promising Parvathi Menon delivers a stunning performance as the illegitimate daughter. Nasser as the shabby and cruel King delivers one of his career bests. Pooja Kumar’s acting is good as the princess Karpagavalli but looks more like a Greek princess than a Tamil one. M.S.Bhaskar as Manoranjan’s Man Friday is terrific. Andrea fails to impress even though she is given a meaty role. Jayaram has very little screen time, but is adequate. Newcomer Ashwin as Manoranjan’s son gives a good account of himself.

One feels Ghibran's music is good but it could have been better.  A visual treat, the film has excellent cinematography.  The length is justified by not only the story's canvas but also the screenplay style.

Kamal's performance is non-pareil, he shows grace, depth and charm.  Playing two characters with baggage and lightness of their own, he proves yet again that he is a genius.  Others fit the bill and credit goes to the makers for selecting the right faces.

Verdict: A film that has a good screenplay but falls short of the cinematic lustre needed to keep it going.  It is not greater than its bits and pieces.  Like Vishwaroopam was.

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