Critics rating: 2 Stars

Cast: Vikram, Amy Jackson

Direction: Shankar

Produced: V. Ravichandran, D. Ramesh Babu 

Written: Shankar, Subha

Genre: Sci – Fi

Duration: 188 Mins

I, the film, has three distinct acts. The first is of Lingesan (Vikram) obsessing over supermodel Diya (Amy Jackson), who smiles down at him from billboards and through the television and in newspapers. His fascination for her results in some bizarre manifestations like the song sequence where his handset and motorcycle (and even a fish in a supermarket) take Diya’s form.

When he is not being just a tad bit leery, Lingesan trains at Arnold Gym (very subtle nod to his idol) to prepare for the Mr. Tamil competition. When a bulky rival tries to scare him away, Lingesan challenges him to beat him at his game and not ask him to back away like a woman. (Bombast dialogue = 1. Notions of gender = 0). The competition plays with the standard masala humourthroughsongs like ‘Made in India’ and ‘Marhaba’to jolt you out of the staleness-induced stupor.

There is a fight scene after that with a few muscled competitors and the hero, because winning graciously is a lost art on them. After punches and bodies fly thick through the air, there is a moment when the men regroup on the hero to jiggle their moobs at him. That is only beginning of the cringe-worthy scenes that are to follow.

 

Meanwhile, Diya is constantly badgered by her co-model John (Upen Patel) for a date. She does not comply and he uses his clout to remove her from key assignments. Act 2 has Diya grooming Lingesan into Lee, a more enticing professional counterpart. Here, the makers throw in a transgender makeup artist (Ojas M Rajani), the stereotyping making the most hardened viewer recoil. Act 3 features a gruesome sabotage of the hero’s appearance, which morphs into a revenge drama. Lingesan, seething, disfigured and vengeful, will give it as good as he has gotten.

I may not have an original concept, but a less tiresome execution could have worked immensely in its favour. The beginning may seem made with the quintessential flair of a standard potboiler, but the sequences shot in China are truly breathtaking. This happens in Act 2,when the proceedings are still light and Diya-Lee team up for a perfume advertisement. A fight scene shot on the rooftops, with murderous cyclists, is the only one that stands out in the entire film.

 

Despite being a love story, the romance angle is uninspired. Diya does not seem drawn to Lingesan, except for his machismo.

The dramatic scenes in the latter half of the film are heavy-handed and replete with ham moments that could give a butcher a complex. Lavishly shot song sequences to dot the narrative, end up stretching the film’s running time and the audience’s patience. Despite some stunning visuals, the songs offer little by way of melody.

Even Santhanam, as Lingesan’s friend, can do little to lighten up the dull story. The film is anchored by a good performance from Vikram in Quasimodo mode (that’s some great makeup there), which takes the film only half a notch above. Amy Jackson is alright, but believable as a model.

Neither adequate science fiction nor an interesting enough romantic thriller, I is either best avoided or a suitable DVD watch for Shankar/Vikram fans.