Urumi (2011)

Beautiful, moving film.

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Does watching both the original Malayalam as well as the dubbed Hindi version (Shoorveer: Ek Yodha) of Santosh Sivan's film, Urumi, make me a better judge of the film? Because by a freak coincidence I got to see both the versions. I saw the original Malayalam version on DVD; and, just a week later, the dubbed Hindi version was released at the local cinema hall. I saw both versions and couldn't stop marvelling at how different the Hindi dubbed version is from the original Malayalam version. First, the "Vadakku Vadakku" song, the very first one in the film, featuring Prithviraj and Prabhudeva, has been deleted from the Hindi version. That is OK, doesn't make much difference (except that one is not exactly made aware of the circumstances of Prithviraj's and Prabhudeva's characters, Krishna and Ali, respectively, in the present day). But even the dubbing is such that it seems that the Hindi version just tries to pander to as many people as possible. I am not familiar with the history of Vasco da Gama in Kerala, but I am sure it is not a pleasant one. A history of colonisation can never be a pleasant one and, on that very account, I can trust only the original Malayalam version of Urumi because it says that when Vasco da Gama first landed in the Malabar coast, he called the local men "pretentious" and the local women "ugly". And I can believe that. When you come with the intention of colonising other people, you, obviously, do not have any love for those people. Otherwise why would you colonise them? In the dubbed Hindi version, the "pretentious" and "ugly" become "intelligent" and "beautiful", i.e., the Hindi dubbed version of Urumi tells us that when Vasco da Gama first reached the Malabar coast, he called the local men "intelligent" and the local women "beautiful". Seriously, why this deliberate losing the plot in translation? Who were the Hindi distributors and those responsible for the Hindi dubbed version trying to please by portraying Vasco da Gama in a pleasant light and, in the process, losing the reason why characters like Chirakkal Kothuwal (Arya), Kelu (Prithviraj), Ali (Prabhudeva), Ayesha (Genelia), and the king (Amole Gupte) and princess (Nithya Menon) of Chirakkal actually went to war against the Portuguese and their friends in the Malabar? Urumi was released in 2011, the Hindi version is already five years late. Those who had to see Urumi, whether in India or abroad - including Portugal - must have already seen it in original Malayalam. They know what Urumi is about and who/what Urumi is against, so why the pretence now of pleasing everyone? Or is it plain indifference on the part of the people connected with the Hindi version to cash in on the presence of Bollywood stars, Tabu and Vidya Balan, in the film because, despite having mere cameos (Balan's is a proper cameo and she shines in it➖Tabu's is just a two-minute appearance in a song), Tabu and Balan have been given prominent spaces in the posters of the Hindi version?As far as the film goes, I found Urumi far more tolerable than the last two Santosh Sivan films I saw, both historicals: the Shah Rukh Khan-Juhi Chawla co-production, Asoka (SRK has been thanked in the film's credits, the second person after Mani Ratnam); and the Merchant-Ivory production, Before The Rains. Both were stunningly shot, but both dragged like something. I know that Santosh Sivan is an internationally renowned cinematographer, the first Indian cinematographer to be inducted into the American School of Cinematography, but being a world-class cinematographer is different from being a film director. As a world-class cinematographer, Sivan has given Urumi his signature look. But, after having seen Sivan's signature look in several films now - Asoka, Before The Rains, Raavan (Mani Ratnam is the first person to be thanked in the film's credits) - and the done-to-death monsoon scenes in Kerala, Urumi, though stunning to look at, did not really invoke any new feeling in me. Yet, I appreciated that Sivan has taken a populist approach in Urumi. It is plain to see that Urumi is targeted, first, at regular cinema-goers, and then at festivals. Genelia's action scenes are believable and better than Kareena Kapoor's action scenes in Asoka. Also, Urumi, I believe, has an anti-mining and anti-capitalism bent. The multinational Nirvana mining company in Urumi can very well be the Vedanta mining company of real life. I just wish real life were as easy to sort out and saying "no" to a multinational mining giant were as easy as shown in Urumi.

Ek Yodha Shoorveer Review: Hi friends, In this exciting post, i am going to publish review of India's greatest adventure epic film Ek Yodha Shoorveer. Today, i have watched this film at Zee preview theater, Fun Republic. After press release, i entered in theater along with guest audiences and started to enjoy film. After watching this movie, i will have to say that Ek Yodha Shoorveer is one of the greatest film of Indian cinema. Plot of the film is from 16th century when the Portuguese sailors under Vasco d Gama (Robin Pratt) discovered India captured some lands of South India.We should appreciate director Santosh Sivan for making this historical film in great way. He is also cinematographer of this film. Acting of Prithviraj, Genelia Dsouza and Prabhudeva are superb. Every characters are looking real. Genelia looks too pretty and showcased extra ordinary act. Acting of Amole Gupte in the role of Chirakkal Thampuran will attract audience and make laugh for some moment. Vidya Balan is looking gorgeous and hot in the role of Teacher Bhumi and Makkom receptively.We should also appreciate the creative art direction team. They decorate every frame according to screenplay. Screenplay should be more better, but neglect it because No one can give 100%. You will love songs and item number of this film. At last i will say that don't miss Ek Yodha Shoorveer and go to your nearest theater.By Arun K Singh

An attempt to tell the story of Kerala tryst with the Portuguese traveller Vasco-da-Gama, movie has excellent cinematography and good production values. Locations in Maharashtra (caves) & lush green Kerala lend beautiful backdrop when viewed thru Santosh Sivans lenses. Costume design and set design are good. The performance is good by Amol Gupte, Prithviraj and Genelia. Cameos by Tabu and Vidya Balan and background score is pleasant surprise.The length of the movie at 2:52min makes the story a drag. Flawed script, bad editing or Prabhu Devas hamming doesn't make it any more bearable. Santosh Sivan's indulgence is visible especially shot of Genelia and Prithvi looking at each other thru the water fall and shots at night in oil lamp flames. Cinematic liberties and deviation from history apart, lack of good action director is evident in rather boring fight sequences. There are a repeated shots of slitting throats. Featuring the actors in present world and historical recount seems to be highly inspired by Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti. Overall the movie fails on account if poor script and editing that suffers in an attempt to incorporate all the stylish shots from cinematographer - Director.

I saw this movie and was not that thrilled as was anticipated. The story starts well but didn't carry the momentum. I felt that somewhere down the line the movie lost its way and there was no story telling feel to it. There was a sense of drag and towards the end I felt that the director wanted to just end the movie somehow. At least, the battle in the end should have been something to remember but fell short of even leaving an imprint. Overall the story lacked content and lacked a story telling feel to it.. Prabhu Deva and Jagathy gave a good performance and so did Genelia. The director was too busy glorifying Prithviraj that he forgot what the movie was about. I fail to understand what the hype was about!! Sorry to say that there was nothing great about this movie.