Directed by S. Shankar (of the cult 2001 film Nayak), Enthiran has gone on to become the highest grossing Indian film of all time. Starring hi-profile Bollywood actors Rajnikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the movie is incredibly expensive and an effort to compete with Hollywood blockbusters of the Transformers variety. Explosions and gun fights may be the usual fare, but the long musical numbers make the movie an oddity by Western standards but is par for the course in a Bollywood film. I recall seeing a Bollywood Dracula and being astounded at how long the movie was, but when you factor in the musical/dance numbers… it’s a different world.
The movie follows Rajinikanth as a brilliant scientist attempting to control his rogue creation (made in his image) as it runs wild through the city. A totally bizarre film, it is interesting to see another culture approach the big budget action film genre as it is taken to the most absurd lengths. Based on the trailer alone, this is a movie worth checking out.
The movie has been translated in English and is in limited release in the U.S. (where it has received mixed reviews), so check your local arthouse cinema to see if it is playing.
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