TOP TEN SIVAJI MOMENTS

I had started writing this post much earlier but then wanted to post it on a day of significance and what better day than the 50th day of its release. Sivaji has been one movie which has almost become too tough to resist. Though I have watched it 6 times so far, I am still dying to watch it many more times. I keep saying to my friends that if I had been in India (or in some place where the movie is still running), I would have definitely watched it a minimum of 20 times. Seriously, I have not enjoyed a Thalaivar movie as much as I enjoyed Sivaji and more importantly, no Thalaivar movie has left me wanting for more, even after repeated viewings.

To quench my thirst for some Sivaji action, I surf around looking for You Tube videos of some scenes and songs. Since I do not download movies in general, there was no way I was going to download the movie and watch it in my laptop. Sivaji means so much to me and thus, anything less than watching it in a theater is unacceptable for me. I bought the audio CD, watched the movie in the theater for 6 times and will buy atleast 5 copies of the original DVD whenever it is released (Oh..the remaining copies are for friends as gifts).

As a Thalaivar fan, all I was concerned before the movie's release was that the movie should do well. And boy, has it done well. As every other site and news report says, the movie has already broken all existing records in Tamil cinema and I am sure when it is done running, it would have become the highest grossing movie in the history of Indian cinema. After Chandramukhi set all those collection records, movies like Anniyan did gross an amount which while remaining lesser than CM, was in the same league as CM. That is when Thalaivar probably thought that we should do a movie where the collections of the same should be in an altogether different league and Thalaivar's dream has come true in a big way with Sivaji. I am not sure if even Thalaivar's future movies can break the records set by Sivaji (though I will be the one who will be the happiest if that does happen).

Alright now to the top 10 Sivaji moments. Moments that took my breath away, moments that made me cry out loud, moments that made me leap from my seat, moments that got me excited way too much, moments that tingled my spine or to put it simply, moments that only Thalaivar can provide. I thought of ordering them but then, that would just not be fair. Though I like some of the moments listed below better than the others, there are atleast a good 3-4 moments which I simply can not put in any order bcos each one of them is just as stunning as another.

1) Sivaji-kku appuram evan-da
Sujatha had said in an interview before the movie was released on whether there will be any punch dialogs in Sivaji to which he replied We have made Vivek do the honors instead of the Superstar. Punch-kku punch. Dignity-kku dignity. I simply loved it even when I read the interview and when I saw that scene when Vivek says Six-kku appuram seven-da...Sivaji-kku appuram yeven-da, it was just too good to be true and we all shouted Yevenum illa-da

2) Singam..Single-aa thaan varum
I don't think I need to say anything about this scene as this scene and the dialog have become part of folk lore. I was completely speechless when I saw this scene for the first time. I simply loved the way how there is a gap in this dialog. He first says Kannaa, panninga thaan koottamaa varum and then hits the goondas who fly in the air and it is then as they are falling down like nine pins, he finishes the dialog by saying Singam, single-aa than varum That glitter in his eyes as he says this is so typical of Thalaivar

3) Thalaivar's mind-blowing intro in the Adhiradi song
Though I personally liked the way how Thalaivar lands on the ground after flying & picks up the guitar, many friends of mine liked the way he is shown lying on the bike with his face covered with that hat and with his feet crossed. Whichever is your pick, those few seconds when the Adhiradi song starts are simply out-of-the-world. (it is to be noted here that I have already run out of adjectives/ superlatives) I will have to add here that whatever follows (the whole song basically) deserves another entry in this list. But for the sake of repetition, I am leaving it out.

4) Thalaivar riding that bike in the Style song in that blue jacket.
I am not sure how many of you noticed this. To be very frank, this was the only hairdo in that Style song I was kind of apprehensive about when the stills were released (my personal favorite was the one he sports when he is wearing the orange overcoat and I was actually disappointed that Shankar did not give adequate screen time for that outfit). But once I saw that blue outfit on the screen, all my doubts evaporated into thin air. The way he nonchalantly chews the bubble gum while driving is breath-taking. While on the same dress, the following scene where Thalaivar's mirror image and Thalaivar do different things in slow-mo is equally awesome and thus has to be given its due recognition.

5) That walk back to the auto in THE teakada scene.
The whole teakada scene is spectacular & will rank way up there among the best Thalaivar scenes of all time. But the way the scene ends with this particular walk is just the crowning glory of the whole scene. Everything about that walk is mind-blowing - first the way he gets up from the bench after stylishly gets his right leg over the bench, then walks back by looking sideways without looking at the camera, all the time chewing the Bajji and then how he gets into the auto & says Polaam right, there can not be a better moment than this. It was no coincidence that Thalaivar’s daughter too cites the same scene as her most favorite scene of the movie. We (myself & my friends) all talk about how the shooting spot would have looked like on the day they canned this scene. Given the fact that Shankar himself is such a huge fan of Thalaivar, I am sure they all would have enjoyed this scene to the hilt even while filming it.

6) Thalaivar's entry in the Haneefa stabbing scene
You don't realize what hit you. That is how I felt when suddenly the doors open and Thalaivar strides into the room alongside the other goondas. As he answers Haneefa's question as to who it is, by saying Boss in how own magnetic voice and enters the room with that background by ARR is definitely one of the high moments of the movie.

7) Vaaji vaji song walk
Thalaivar's walk is something that leaves every Thalaivar fan in a trance and that midukku in his walk is simply unparalleled. Among all the walks in the movie, I actually loved this one in the Vaaji song. This actually comes for a few fleeting seconds. Right when the song starts, after Thalaivar gets out of that pallakku, he is first showered with rose petals & then he flashes his trademark smile, which instantly sent me into a daze already. And it is then that he is shown walking along the corridor with the sword in his hand. Amazing. Awestruck.

8) Music store fight scene close-up
Right in the middle of the musical store fight where the fight shifts from the main area of the store to a storage area full of guitars and drums, first, Thalaivar's eyes are shown in close-up and then his majestic walk, with the Power ranger jetix thaan-da Pathu viralum gimmicks thaan-da lines in the background. Another moment when Thalaivar just makes you scream out of pure adrenaline rush.

9) Helicopter backdrop walk
Well, there are 2 walks with the helicopter in the background and needless to say which among the 2 is more hair-rising than the others. The one in the all-white attire was the clear winner. (Its not that the one with the all-black outfit is bad but somehow, I have always liked when Thalaivar comes in a all-white dress , right from the Raajaadhi Raja days) This scene is a very unique one. First up showing a helicopter up-close & landing with the dirt flying is majestic in its own way. But as only he can, Thalaivar simply overshadows the presence of the helicopter in the background with his mere walk. A doubtless Wow moment for any die-hard Thalaivar fan.

10) Mottai boss intro
The less I write about the Mottai boss, the better bcos if I start my ranting, I just can not stop. Thalaivar's majesty in that get-up is truly unbelievable. It is for that one get-up alone I will say Sivaji is the best Thalaivar film ever. The moment he gets down from that helicopter and starts walking in never-before-seen style of walking, I was shouting Thalaivaa to the hilt. It is for moments like these that fans like me die for and Thalaivar fans have to thank Shankar for showing us all a facet of Thalaivar we would not have seen in our life times if not for him.