Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditsAwards & Reviews
user reviewsexternal reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guidemessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsmemorable quotesDid You Know?
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
box office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsReviews & Ratings for
Someone Like You More at IMDbPro »Unnaipol Oruvan (original title)
| Page 1 of 2: | [1] [2] ![[Next]](http://i.media-imdb.com/f86.gif){kind=small} |
| Index | 12 reviews in total |
17 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Clash between the Lords of Indian cinema!, 20 September 2009
Author:
manojharisree from Bangalore, India
Amazing first time direction by Chakri Toleti - totally gripping from beginning to end. I would say it's smart direction as the movie is equally serious and entertaining. Also, apt music by Kamal Hassan's daughter Shruti Hassan. The performances were the most enjoyable from the two leading actors in the movie - Kamal Hassan & Mohanlal. Both share equal screen presence and make every second worth it. Both of them are textbook of acting - one known for his intensity & the other for spontaneity. I have always been fascinated by Lal's acting but didn't expect him to do so well in a Tamil movie & speak the language effortlessly. This is a classic and I feel worth watching multiple times. Rare are the movies that can spread a message and provide fun too and this is one of them.
9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
A classy movie!, 20 September 2009
Author:
Rajesh rengarjaulu from United States
UPO is a well made movie in all aspects. It was very nice to see the
two big stars cum actors of India, Kamal & Mohanlal share the screen.
Kamal is so good in the last few scenes of the movie and Mohanlal has
done his part with ease. Enjoyable movie with strong message. I feel
that with big stars, message can reach broader audience and Kamal has
exactly done that with the movie.
Dialogues and background score of the movie really need a mention.
Era.Murukan as a dialogue writer and Shruthi Haasan as music director
and both being a debutant have done a good job.
It's tough to cope with the expectations set and no one would dare to
remake such a critically acclaimed movie like 'A Wednesday', only Kamal
will. Hats off!
6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Oh My God!!1...absolutely thrilling!!!!, 28 September 2009
Author:
ashok-akossotto from India
Kamal Hassan's Chakri-Toleti directed Unnaipol Oruvan is new age Tamil
cinema, which we can say proudly, is a must-watch. What elevates the
film to a new high is the crisp presentation and outstanding
performances from the lead actors, mainly Kamal and Mohanlal, who
simply rock. The film is on par with the original Neeraj Pandey's A
Wednesday, with minor modifications to make it politically correct by
including a Hindu mercenary, a gun runner for whom it is just about
money.
The dialogues written by Era Murugan are electrifying and justifies the
milieu change from the terror-prone Mumbai to much calmer climes of
Chennai.
Kamal Hassan and his team have also pointed to the Coimbatore bomb
blast and Meenambakkam airport blast to give the film a local flavour.
And to add his own secularist view point, one of the Muslim characters
justifies his action and says it is all because of Modi and communal
politics which led to the Best Bakery case. The film is well intended
and is told in an emphatic manner very bravely.
One ordinary day, the Chennai city police commissioner Raghava Maraar
(Mohanlal) receives a threatening call on his mobile from a guy (Kamal
Hassan), who claims that he has placed five bombs in various parts of
the city. The veracity of the caller's claim is confirmed when the cops
find a bag with a RDX bomb at the Anna Salai police station.
The anonymous caller wants five hard core terrorists to be freed -- If
not, he threatens blasts at various locations in Chennai where he has
concealed the bombs. The chief secretary (Lakshmi) on the orders of
Chief Minister has given a Maraar a free hand.
Maraar and his crack team of officers, led by a daring brooding cop
Arif Khan (Ganesh Venkatram), gets ready to hand over the terrorists to
the anonymous caller at an airfield. The story cannot be told further
as it would be a giveaway of the stunning and well written climax,
which had the entire audiences in the theatre giving a standing ovation
at the end. It is a very brave and pathbreaking film, with a running
time of only 110 minutes.
The film works because of its ensemble cast and the outstanding
performances of Mohanlal and Kamal Hassan. Unlike in the Hindi version
where Naseeruddin Shah had an edge over Anupam Kher, here the best
dialogues in the film and almost equal screen time is given to
Mohanlal.
Kamal's emotional outburst at the end, is heart rending and perhaps one
of the finest piece of acting seen in Tamil cinema. Kamal and Mohanlal
coming together is worth your ticket money. Ganesh Venkatram has a
tailor-made role, and this film is going to be his big ticket to
stardom.
Technically the film is picture perfect, with great background score by
Sruthi Hassan, that builds the mood.
Chakri Toleti as a director cannot make a better debut as director in a
film that will bring about a change in Tamil commercial cinema. Go for
it and encourage good meaningful cinema.
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Unnai Pol Oruvan: A Retrospective, 20 October 2009
Author:
Pranavan Ramachandran (pranavan_007@yahoo.com) from Perth, Australia
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Very rarely does a Tamil movie make me sit up straight and gaze in awe
at the big screen. When the actors live the characters and the
technical aspects do not stand out, but, rather support the screenplay
which moves with such an incredible pace as it happened in UPO, I knew
I had witnessed a milestone in Tamil Cinema. And, if we, the Tamil
Cinema audience (who appreciate quality movies) have mainly one man to
thank for, it is none other than the one who celebrates his golden year
in the film industry, Mr. Kamal Haasan.
This is neither a movie review nor an appreciatory message on Mr.
Haasan, but my thoughts on the movie and a few issues that seem to crop
up in some of the reviews for UPO.
Kamal as a "Common Man": some people find it hard to differentiate
Kamal Haasan the movie star and Kamal Haasan the versatile actor. If
you understand Kamal Haasan as an actor, you should be prepared to get
whatever he throws at you. There have been so many characters from
"Kalyana Raman" to "Dasavatharam", where he has portrayed a range of
characters in all walks of life. If you had taken that in mind into the
movie theatre, you may not have been imbued with his "star value". I
deliberately wrote that within quotes, because I believe (my opinion)
the great characters we have witnessed on-screen were rather common men
(in movie terms, character actors) than leading men. One of the
greatest Hollywood examples would be "Travis Bickle" played by Robert
De Niro in the "Taxi Driver (1976)". Travis as Kamal Haasan's character
in UPO has his own sense of justice. He metes out justice as he sees
fit.
Kamal's Viewpoint of Terrorism: it is best that we do not assume that
the "Common Man's" viewpoint of terrorism in UPO is that of Kamal
Haasan. Would we as the good people of this earth, want "instant
justice" like "2-minute-noodles"? It would not be surprising to see
many people divided over this issue. We have seen many movies where the
protagonists fight the evil almost single-handedly and save the damsel
in distress at the end of the day and ride into the sunset. Is the
"Common Man" in UPO a protagonist? Has he triumphed over evil at the
end of the day? I believe the answer to both questions to be a firm
"NO". The common man walks the fine line between the good and the bad
(as we the good people like to call the "necessary evil"). As a common
man he has seen the governments play games with each other (clue: the
TV program "Mush & Bush") and red tapes all over when the situation
could have been solved instantly. So, the "Common Man" of UPO proceeds
to decide the fate of the terrorists.
Kamal & Secularism: why was one of the terrorists a Hindu? Is this
Kamal again forcing his secularist issues on the audience? Was Kamal
trying to play it safe? I believe not. When Naseeruddin Shah played the
"Common Man" in "A Wednesday", the audience watched the movie theatres
with an instilled sense of justice as Naseeruddin Shah is by nature, a
Muslim. Unfortunately there are people, who would see Kamal Haasan (by
birth a Hindu and now an atheist who orchestrates to kill Muslim
terrorists), and will call him politically incorrect and burn his
effigy.
Unnaipol Oruvan works as an "engrossing thriller" a clichéd review
would say, but as far as I am concerned, Kamal Haasan has yet again
lashed out against the mundane and ignorant existence of the common
men. Especially his monologue scene as tears flow from his eyes, we
watch like most people who are unable to do anything lest we speak out.
How much more of evil must we face before we are pushed over the edge?
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
a rocking movie!!!!!, 22 September 2009
Author:
sabarish10 from India
Unnaipoloruvan is the story of a common man.i haven't seen its Hindi version yet.but the tamil version is brilliantly paced.the story is very realistically told.the screen play is absolutely amazing.also a great acting from the two legends, Kamalhassan and Malayalam superstar MohanLal.there are quite a few emotional sequences in this film.the dialogue is really very well written.editing is very nicely done.chakri toleti has really directed the film well.this is his debut film.allover this movie is very brisk,fast paced and very realistic.In addition the background score by Shruthihassan is excellent.so i give this movie 9/10
6 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Worth watching, 20 September 2009
Author:
crjayaprakash from India
It's again a different experience for Tamil viewers. Thanks to Kamal Haasan. No songs, No Heroine, no big sentimental drags. First half thrill turns into a drama later reducing the curiosity. Still a good attempt. Mohanlal excels. Limited role for characters makes the film look crisp. Shruti Haasan scores in her debut. Content given importance in the form driven South Indian Cinema. Let this movie taste success so that further creations in Bollywood start reducing their usual run time 165 minutes. Different approach to Terrorism theme. Thanks for not infusing violence in this terrorism story. This movie might go well with Ladies too, though no big roll is earmarked for them.
8 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Story of a Common Man, 19 September 2009
Author:
justingemini from Singapore
Its a daring move by Kamalhassan. We all have seen The Wednesday so would know the storyline. To reproduce the story to the taste and likes of another set of audience at the box office is a tough task. All the characters, be it Kamal or Mohanlalthe support crew have given their best effort to make the movie the life. Only Kamalhassan has been dare enough to give such movies and he has proved his worth. Introdcing Shruthi to the audience under the home banner is a real good effort and she has excelled in her share. Altogether UPO is a must watch and will remain the minds of the people forever. Ulaga Naayaganey ... Nee Vaalga Pallandu
1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
One Of The Best Tamil Films Ever Made, 14 February 2010
Author:
poet-christian from Singapore
Amazing acting for starters. For once I think they've reached almost
international standards, the tension was awesome, there weren't any
songs (the usual in Tamil movies) which was a pleasant surprise.
Amazing acting again and the English when used (esp by Kamal) sounded
like English for a change. India was portrayed well for a change as
well, no rogues at every corner, well-dressed and neat police officers
(and yes they were the good guys for a change). The places were clean,
the shots were realistic and it was a good movie even in International
standards. Even the Tamil was well spoken. I would recommend this to
those who are learning Tamil, entertaining and good language used and
as an example to future Tamil Film Makers. Make films like these and
you'll attract the young, professional (non rowdy) crowd.
P.S. Kamal should consider starring in some Hollywood Blockbusters!
Awesome Actor, the best the Tamil Film Industry has had by far. I would
have given it a 7 had it been an English movie though. 8 Stars and well
deserved (it being a tamil movie and because it definitely took a lot
of breaking out of the box).
8 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Average, 16 December 2009
Author:
Backer from United Arab Emirates
Well if you have seen 'A Wednesday' just forget about watching Unnai
Pol Oruvan, its just another remake gone bad.
I have seen A Wednesday and it's a real class movie, fast paced and
very good performances by Nasiruddin Shah, Anupam Kher & Jimmy shergil.
I am a huge fan of Mohanlal & Kamal, I consider they are far superior
actors than their Hindi counterpart in Wednesday, in fact i consider
Mohanlal as the best actor in India and Kamal comes close to him and he
is the next best along with Mammootty.
So my expectation sky rocketed when i heard that Mohanlal and Kamal are
doing the remake of A Wednesday, and guess what, it turned out to be a
huge disappointment for me Big Disappointment was Mohanlal, just an
average performance by him, his Dialogues in English sounds pathetic,
Kamal was OK all in all just an average movie
1 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Poor Remake, 22 December 2011
Author:
Balaji A (baali_blr) from India
With a Stellar star cast, they have managed to churn out a mediocre remake. At least if they had stuck to the original script, they would have done justice to movie. A half hearted attempt at showing some originality. Kamal of Dashavataram and Anbe-Sivam, associating with this kind of production quality is not acceptable. Some of Kamal's earlier Hindi remakes like Kurudipunal, were actually better than the original. I have watched "A Wednesday" more than 5 times, while it was so hard to see this even once. Lakhsmi's acting is also a great let down, and the raw anger in Arif character was excellently portrayed by "jimmy Shergil" could not be matched in this movie. Mohanlal was a bad choice for the commissioner role, I was actually expecting Nasser in that role. Probably if Kamala Hasan was not part of this movie, my expectations would have been less. ...a forgettable Kamal movie..after a long time..
| Page 1 of 2: | [1] [2] |
Related Links
| Ratings | Awards | External reviews |
| Official site | Plot keywords | Main details |
| Your user reviews | Your vote history |
Copyright © 1990-2013
IMDb.com, Inc.
Conditions of Use | Privacy Policy | Interest-Based Ads
An 
company.