KABALI (U/A)

Director: Pa.Ranjith

Cast: Rajinikanth, Radhika Apte, Dhansika, Winston Chao, Dinesh Ravi

Running time: 152 minutes

The slo-mo walk. The sideways glance. The flick of the cigarette. The free-wheel of the sunglasses. 

Kabali has all that a Rajinikanth film promises — and then some more. The latest Thalaivaa fest at the theatres also has a strong emotional core that scores as much as the superstar’s paisa-vasool one-liners and his jaw-dropping stunts. But does that mean we love a Rajini going sniff-sniff more than a kickass Rajini? No way, but the best bit about Kabali is that it focuses on the emotional side of the superstar as much as it showcases the superhero in him. 

And what a superhero he is. Even at 65 — and playing his age for a change — Rajini commands attention from the moment he first appears on screen. That nonchalant strut and that relaxed swag is all there, but what Kabali adds to the Rajini repertoire is a full-throated laugh and his stylish tug at the lapels of his jacket. What we loved best? Kabali’s takiya kalaam — “Bahut khoob!”  

But would Kabali the film be worth a watch if you took Kabali the superstar out of the mix? No way. Director Pa.Ranjith pens a wafer-thin story that rehashes all the elements of an ’80s masala gangster flick — power play and politics, revenge and retribution, and packages them in the way that a Rajinikanth fan would love best — larger than life. 

Walking out of a Malaysian prison after 25 years, Kabali — a dreaded don in his heyday — finds his empire lost, his (then) pregnant wife dead and his enemies stronger than ever. Now a philanthropist who rehabilitates drug addicts, he sets out to avenge his wife’s murder and regain lost ground. But that’s easier said than done. And would a Rajinikanth film be that simple?

Inspired by the millions of Rajinikanth jokes in the universe, t2 takes advantage of Kabali fever to reproduce a few and come up with some of our own... 

You know a Rajinikanth film is releasing...

♦ When even the trailer earns 5 stars.

♦ When even Torrent goes to the hall to watch it.

♦ When god watches the film and says: ‘OMR!’ (‘Oh My Rajinikanth!’)

♦ The Khans look for festivals to release their films. Rajinikanth makes a festival out of his film’s release.

♦ Rajnikanth films don’t need a theatre. They can premiere on mobile phones and still earn Rs 500 crore in the first weekend.

♦Rajnikanth doesn’t bother about selecting release dates. The calendar automatically adjusts itself to a Friday.

Kabali may be pedestrian, but for the Rajinikanth fan — from Chennai to Calcutta, San Jose to Singapore — it’s the man in the middle that matters. The way he effortlessly flicks around an AK-47, the way he carelessly puts up a hand to fend off a dagger, the way he casually stares at the mirror and sticks a crowbar into a man charging at him from behind — it’s a Rajinikanth festival at the cinemas, making every bit of the 4am shows in Chennai, the office holiday for employees in Bangalore and the waiting at long queues for a prized ticket around the world worth it. And even though Main aag hoon — yes, we didn’t have a choice but watch the Hindi dubbed version —  doesn’t have the bite of Neruppa da nerunga da, the way the man stares at the camera and swaggers towards it as the pulsating rock beats play out guarantees enough bang for your buck.

But what will also work with fans that have grown up on Rajinikanth and his trademark gimmicks is the vulnerability of their Thalaivaa. An ageing don broken by the loss of his family, a romantic who pines for his dead wife, a father who gets emotional every time he spots someone close to his daughter’s age — it’s a Rajinikanth we have seldom seen before. That one scene of the man — greyed and past his prime,  with a bullet in his chest, doubling over in grief and crying his heart out —  is enough to bring a lump to the throat of even the non-Rajini fan. 

Who watches anyone else in a Rajini film may be the argument of a die-hard fan, but Radhika Apte — playing Kabali’s wife Rupa — commands attention from the get-go, her screen time significantly higher than Bolly stars in recent Rajini films — Deepika Padukone in Kochadaiiyaan and Sonakshi Sinha in Lingaa. And kudos to Radhika, at 30, for playing mother to Dhansika, four years her junior.

But in the end, it’s Rajini Sir who makes every minute of Kabali — well, he’s there in almost every frame — worth it. As a certain Shah Rukh Khan has said: “All the Rajini fans...  don’t miss the chance!” 

P.S.: Now waiting for Rajinikanth to review this review. 

I am a Rajinikanth fan because.... Tell t2@abp.in