Thoughts on Vishwaroopam

*Spoiler ahead

With Vishwaroopam 2 scheduled to release around this weekend (Hopefully, considering all Kamal films face release issues), I decided to write on the things that I loved in Vishwaroopam. Vishwaroopam 2 is a prequel as well as a sequel to the 2013 release Vishwaroopam.

Kamal Hassan as a writer and director has always impressed me more than the actor. Vishwaroopam is a treat for someone like me who likes the writer Kamal Hassan. The story of Vishwaroopam starts with Nirupama (Pooja Kumar) talking to her counselor about her relationship with Vishwanath (Kamal Hassan) and her secret relationship with Deepak (her boss). Kamal Hassan’s writing is clever. See how Nirupama refers to him to her counselor, as Wiz, which is short from of his real name Wizam Ahmed Kasmiri also for his spy name Vishwanath.

Only a very few actors have command over their body. Kamal Hassan has mastered it. The transformation scene, where he fights after being innocent works every time you watch is because of the difference in body language he shows. The scene works on a whole new level because of the stunts. The whole stunt is choreographed in the time between the fall of two droplet.

Just before Kamal fights, he would be tied and questioned about his name. Interestingly, he tells all the names which we are going to encounter in the future (Tawfeeq, Nasser). These are small things that make you smile when you watch it for second time. Kamal writes a perfect irony, nuclear particles tied in pigeon’s legs. The nuclear war in though the symbol of peace. These are the stuffs that make Kamal movies interesting for watching again.

There is another beautiful scene, which is my most favorite scene in the film. When Omar finds a GPS device in Tawfeeq’s bag, they decide to hang him to death. This scene comes after a big fight with the American army and we see Omar sitting next to a white dove and a gun. The dove representing peace and gun representing violence. Omar gets up and picks up gun, symbolizing he wants violence or war.

Similarly, in the interval scene, which looks as a crowd cheering mass moment turned out to be a meaningful scene. If you notice the scene, the American helicopters would be shooting the jeep in which Omar, Salim are going rather than Wizam, who is alone in the ground. Salim notices it with a shock.

And look the two different moments, were there was a potential for an electrifying background score but rather used a melody background. One was when Wizam’s true identity is revealed and he cuts his hair and walks down the staircase, and the other scene is when Wizam talk’s with the Prime Minister. These two scenes will have a melody background because these both are seen through 

Nirupama’s eyes and she is getting attracted to him.

We get answer for the Nayakan’s question “Neenga Nallavara? Kettavara?” (Are you good? or bad?) In this film. The film has a scene that defines “Not all Muslims are terrorists”. In the climax before detonating the bomb, the terrorist will be praying and similarly Wizam will also be praying. The scene explains everything what Kamal wanted to say in the film.

Dissecting Kamal Hassan’s movie is one of the most joyous thing and Vishwaroopam is one of my favorite films. The film ended with Wisam diffusing the nuclear bomb at New York and he says to his wife “Onnu naan saaganum illa Omar saaganum”(Either I have to die or Omar has to die”). Honestly, I am not keen to find out who gets killed, but I am excited to watch the second part as many times as possible and dissect the hidden things.