Larger than life; far from captivating
Bagavathi
(Tamil)
Starring: Vijay, Vadivelu, Aashish Vithyarthi, Reema Sen, Monica, Seema
Music: Deva
Dialogues: Pattukotai Prabhakar
Editing: VT Vijayan
Cinematography: R Rathnavelu
Story, screenplay, direction: A Venkatesh
Melodious Video
BAGAVATHI is a celebration of Vijay. But it goes over the top, and ends up as an unconvincing, loud, cinematic exercise, leaving the "Ilaya Thalapathi" with no one else but himself to blame for the rather sad predicament of his films, including Bagavathi, at the box-office. How easily are these young heroes duped to believe that they have the kind of charisma and pulling-power boasted by Rajanikanth and Kamal Haasan!
Ajith and Vijay, two promising actors, no doubt, have both found their successful careers suddenly looking not all that rosy because they took their success for granted, and the star-worship of crazy fans as something sort of a reality. The two tasted success with well-made films, and now, falsely believing that they have an image that is larger-than-life they create such duds like Bagavathi and Villain.
As for Bagavathi, a whole lot of things seems to have gone wrong. Not the dances of Vijay of course. Without those rivetting numbers the film would have been an altogether wash-out.
Start with the story: It treads the path that all gangster-rowdy movies have taken, and the conversion of a tea-stall owner (Vijay) to a tough, shoot-to-kill goon is unbelievable and far-fetched. And the kind of stunts he does are nothing but unconvincing gimmicks, which the audience have for long now learnt to recognise for all its hollowness.
Bagavathi has all the routine formula elements too, all trying to create a super-hero image for Vijay: He fights policemen for the poor; he is full of principles, he has rich girls falling for him, and above all, he is a doted brother. And when his brother, Guna (Jai), falls for the charms of Priya (Monica), the daughter of Ishwara Pandi MA, LLB, MP, BA, Higher Secondary, etc, etc. — which Aashish Vithyarthi takes much pain to speak them all out in one stretch — trouble erupts. Guna is killed, and Bagavathi, the avenger is born.
And script-writer, director A Venkatesh makes it as confusing as possible. Priya is expecting — surely, a baby-boy, his brother, asserts Bagavathi — and Ishwara Pandi wants to make sure that nothing of that sort happens. It is open war now. Bagavathi vows to protect his to-be-born nephew, and Pandi is all set to wipe out his grandson. The clash involves bombs shaped as apples, frighteningly big knives, guns, bombs, car chases, and what not. Finally, we reach the much-hyped train climax, another 'stunt.' Pass the bag of salt please.
Here is a film that conjures up the least creative of situations to squeeze in a song. Do you need Vijay to have Viagra tablets to break into a song/dance dream sequence? Downright silly is the word.
Vijay tries to be convincing and endearing and tough and what not. But he makes a sad spectacle as he shouts at the top of his voice as he steers a train (nothing less) into 4x4s. Reema Sen as his lover has little to do but dance around. Aashish Vithyarthi makes a hateful villain, of course.
Credit for foot-tapping music could have been handed over to Deva had one of the chart-busting songs not been lifted from Telugu. The film has a jaded, worn-out look, which could possibly be a reflection of the creative bankruptcy that ruled its makers.
Bagavathi has a gun on a tea-glass on its title-card. But it isn't even a storm in the tea-cup. Just a mild ripple. Must have been the desert winds.
