The local movie distributors for Sivaji finally decided to drop the ticket price to 11 bucks (close enough to the normal 10$) and I had instantly booked two tickets. The added bonus was watching the movie with Balaji, who managed to recreate the original first show ambience for me!
Now this post is not a movie review. I do not think I qualify as a reviewer. Also, I am not sure if a review by default has to be unbiased. I am a Rajni fan (but not a fanatic. I strictly turn off the fan in the attic when I watch Rajni movies) and I am very biased!
In retrospect, my wow (sabatham) to watch the movie only after ticket prices dropped to the regular levels was stupid. I should have just gone three weeks ago, just to take in the audience factor. What the hell was I thinking ? I slept on the pavement at Chestnut and 38th(?)in Philadelphia 15 years ago, outside a ticketmaster window, when there was a foot of snow on the ground, just to get Pink Floyd tickets for a third show that was added last minute. The first two shows had sold out in 8 minutes with people buying tickets over the phone, and did I forget to mention that I was 15th or 16th in line and the queue of people in the pavement was more than 100 ? Stupid, stupid stupid me!
Still, the San Jose crowd doesnt fail to disappoint. Half an hour before opening time, there was a line of around 200 people. The non-desi onlookers were giving the line the amused look. They have probably not seen a desi line that long in downtown san Jose at 7:30 in the evening. We did get nice seats and there was no dearth of whistles and catcalls once the movie started. If the audience was slow to react to some stylish manouvers by Thalaivar, there was always the BB's in the audience who would start the whisling! More than once I pinched myself, just to check if I had died and gone to Rajni heaven.
Rajni cannot top this performance when it comes to style. He has simply outdone himself. The only question a Rajni fan can ask after coming out of the movie is, what next?
If you go to a Shiva temple, you are supposed to sit down for a second before you come out. It has almost become customary for people who write Sivaji reviews or movie experiences to say at least one thing that bothered them during the movie.
The one and only thing that bothered me during the entire 3 hours ?
Well, picture the height of style, the height of glamour, the most amazing set design, art direction and the music starts for a song.. and then the voice and pronunciation just kills it for you! Aaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. Simply stated in BHU lingo from two decades ago, it was KLPD! You guys probably know exactly what I am talking about!
In spite of that, the movie was worth every penny. I am not talking about my 11 bucks here. I am talking about the millions of dollars spent in making this movie!
Rajni rocks !!
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