Dasavatharam (2008)

Director:

K.S. Ravikumar

Writers:

Kamal Hassan (dialogue)
Kamal Hassan (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 June 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Tall Man | Ledge | Monkey | Cancer | Train

Cast

Kamal Hassan	...	Rangaraja Nambi / Govind Ramasaamy / The United States President / Avtar Singh / Christian Fletcher / Shinghen Narahasi / Krishnaveni / Vincent Poovaraagan / Kalifullah Khan / Balaram Naidu
Mallika Sherawat	...	Jasmine
Asin	...	Kothai / Andaal
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chris Cavallaro	...	Lab Technician
Dustin Dyson	...	Ben Jordan
Richard Andrew Evans	...	Undercover Crime Scene Technician
Jayapradha	...	Ranjitha Singh
Brian Jennings	...	Chief of Home Land Security
Kantharaj Kasthuri	...	Medical Doctor
Kylie Koscoe	...	Scientist
Nathena Lewis	...	Lab Technician
Randy Molnar	...	Race Car Driver
Tony Morales	...	Lab Technician
Michael Mosher	...	American Immigration Office
Tom Myers	...	Crime Scene Technician
Nagesh	...	Sheikh Mukhtaar
Napolean	...	Kulothunga Chola II
Rekha	...	Meenakshi
Randy Robinson	...	Lead Detective
David W. Scott	...	Lab Tech / Detective
Steven Shaver	...	Lab Technician
Chakri Toleti	...	Sai Ram
Jason Tripp	...	Ben - Scientist
Brewier Welch	...	Scientist

Also Known As:

Dashavatar (India: Hindi title) (literal title)
The Ten Avatars (India: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

Australia:189 min (theatrical version)

Country:

India

Language:

Tamil | Hindi | Telugu

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:MA (2008) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Orlando Science Center - 777 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Florida, USA

Company:

Oscar Films International

Trivia:

Composer A.R. Rahman and actress Shriya were part of this film's cast and crew. However, the AVM Company passed a rule that nobody making Rajnikanth's Sivaji (2007) should be involved in making this film, which forced the two of them out. They were respectively replaced with Himesh Reshammiya and Mallika Sherawat.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the scene where Avatar Singh and Govindarajan are in the lift, Avatar Singh is seen to be leaving first while Govindarajan pretends to talk on his cellphone. If one looks closely, Govindarajan is holding his Nokia 3310 the wrong way - the screen is visible toward the camera. Possibly intended.

Soundtrack:

Kallai Mattum

A real good one

This movie shows efforts of Kamal trying real hard to take Tamil cinema to the next level without losing its commercial value. Clearly, this is not a kind of movie that Kamal makes. But, yes apart for a few shortcomings (to give commercial value) the film lives up to its expectations.

There are few times when you actually think whether some of the characters are necessary. But when you already have a baseline of Eddie Murphy donning 7 and Sivaji Ganesan donning 9 roles, I think you do not have a choice than appearing in 10 roles.

The story is quite predictable, but that is compensated by the Kamals appearance in each and every frame. I would have to say that the letdown is in the music department. Himesh should not have been the composer, instead AR Rehman would have been good.

Kamal's hard work and perseverance is evident throughout the movie and that works good for the movie.

KS Ravikumar has been roped in just to add the commercial elements to keep the investments safe and he does it quite good.

Not a regular Kamal film as its commercial like a Rajini movie, though reiterates the fact why he is called the "Best in Indian Cinema".

This multi-faceted effort will be remembered in Indian cinema a long way. Kudos.