Kabali – When time stands still to admire the actor in Rajinikanth 

A Visitor Column by Sai Shyam G

I was wondering – “When was the last time I cried, smiled and went berserk, all at the same time, for a scene in a Rajinikanth’s film? “– even as I was going through an emotional high watching Radhika Apte break down on seeing Rajinikanth after 25 years in the film. Well, I am not calling Kabali a masterpiece, but it’s not a film meant to be trashed and it is definitely Rajinikanth’s most valiant attempt in decades.

When Rajinikanth was romancing pretty and young leading ladies in his films, the common notion was he should take up roles suitable to his age and be the Amitabh Bachchan of the south. When he does just that with Kabali, we want him to get back to doing commercial films with songs, fight sequences and saleable comedy. So, what exactly is expected out of him? And, why are we suffering from bipolar disorders? We either call a film ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Pathetic’; why have we forgotten the word ‘fair’?

Why are we jumping to prove our intellectual intelligence and trash a valiant attempt by Rajinikanth, who has surrendered himself to the script of a two-film old director? Although Kabali is not without flaws, it is much better than some of the recent films which were rated way higher by the critics. With all due credits to reviewers, this has always been my policy – always rate or review a film based on its merit and what the film takes you through during its running time, and not based on the actor’s previous films or his legacy or if you are friends with anyone from the film’s crew or whether you have been hired by the production company to promote the film.

When Ranjith was given the opportunity to direct the Superstar in his third film, couldn’t he have stuck with Rajinikanth’s usual formula and make sure he comes up with a safe commercial entertainer? But, he chose to reinvent the actor Rajinikanth, which we have all been yearning for years to see on the silver screen. By making Rajinikanth play a 65 year old person, Ranjith has just slowed down time for the Superstar, especially for the actor in him. Ranjith has given us the rarest of rare chances to enjoy the nuances of Rajinikanth’s expressions a tad longer in each scene, just like how we munch the last bite of our favorite food slowly to make sure the taste lingers in our mouth for a longer time. Usually, even before you come out of a mesmerizing expression of Rajinikanth, you get to see the next one and there is hardly any time for you to appreciate any of them. But, Ranjith has broken that cliché. He has made Rajinikanth’s eyes speak louder than his mouth. Watch out for Rajinikanth’s expressions when he goes through an emotional splurge after knowing that his wife is alive and she has moved from one city to another, hoping that he would come for her one day. Also, the scene where he is in disbelief on seeing his own daughter speaks volumes about what we have missed in Rajinikanth all through the years.

There is a small dance sequence involving Rajinikanth in the opening song sequence – at 65, he should and can dance only that much. He breaks down often when he gets reminded of his wife or daughter. Why should a don be emotionless? He speaks some bold dialogues in the film – why do we have to paint them with a particular caste? What if the director’s intention was never that? Are we over-analyzing a 2.5 hour film and thinking about how we can find faults, rather than being at that moment with the film?

Coming to other characters in the film, I usually believe that a film is worth my money even if there is any one scene that will stay with me after I leave the cinema hall. The scene I’ve highlighted in the intro paragraph was that scene for me in the film, thanks to Radhika Apte’s stellar performance. Dhansika is brilliant in her role and thankfully, she isn’t the regular glam girl you see in the usual don films. Dinesh’s role is probably the most complex one, but he has pulled it off more than convincingly. It should have been a delight for him to react to just a silent glance from Rajinikanth. There is so much of positive energy in the film. For instance, after Rajinikanth is dejected that he couldn’t meet Radhika Apte after reaching Auroville, a local goon goes all the way to meet her, and comes running to Rajinikanth with a delight on his face. He hardly knows Rajinikanth for a day or two. Why does he have to do that? Unconditional humanity, may be? And just then, time stands still for our Superstar, as the dawn arises even as he is standing and wondering about meeting his wife the next day after 25 years.

Santhosh Narayanan has woven sheer magic around the scenes. The background score blends effortlessly with the narration and Santhosh has left few scenes without any music, just for us to get the complete impact of Rajinikanth’s dialogues. For a movie like Kabali, it is very difficult to judge if the movie’s pace should be upped, considering it is Superstar’s film, or if it should be slowed down, considering the essence of the script. I must admit Editor Praveen KL has walked the tightrope brilliantly.

The movie is definitely not without its flaws – weak villains, leisure pace, inconsistent screenplay in the second half and predictability – are some of them. But, overlooking these, I would be thankful to Ranjith for giving me cherishable moments in this film and for breaking many clichés around Rajinikanth. From now on, when someone wants to say “Rajinikanth can’t act”, they will pause for a moment. Thank you for that, Ranjith!

Magizhchi!

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