Big in execution and beautiful in packaging, the movie has the Ghajini quartet - Suriya, director A R Murugadoss, music composer Harris Jeyaraj and cinematographer Ravi K Chandran in action again. The biggest question is whther the movie lives up to the hype? Partially yes is the answer.
Produced by Udhayanidhi Stalin's Red Giant Movies, the movie chronicles the life of Bodhi Dharman (Suriya). A sci-fi thriller, it goes preachy at places to throw light on valour and culture of ancient Tamils.
Bodhi Dharma is a Pallava prince, who is an expert at all big things. Be it medicine or martial arts or genetics, he is the best. One day, he is sent to China by the gurumatha. Initially opposed, he was later accepted by every one in the foreign land and they start worship him for his qualities and skills.
As centuries pass, modern day China wants to control India, and for that, it send Dongli (Johnny Tri Nguyen) to Chennai to start a bio-war by spreading a dangerous disease. In the meantime, Subha Srinivasan (Sruthi Haasan) finds that circus artiste Aravindh (Suriya) shares the DNA of Bodhi Dharman.
She tries to give life to Bodhi Dharman to end the menace of Dongli. But Dongli, who is capable of doing anything, does all bad things, thanks to his 'Nokku Varmam', a martial art which was actually taught to the Chinese by Bodhi Dharman. What's next is the climax.
Suriya shines in both the roles. He aptly fits in the attire of a saint and makes us to believe that he is a circus artiste too. Shruthi Haasan makes a welcome debut in Tamil cinema and the daughter of Kamal Haasan has got a meaty role in her very first movie itself. Johnny Tri Nguyen is the right choice, to spit venom through eyes.
Harris Jayaraj's music reminds one of his earlier tunes while Ravi K Chandran's cinematography is fresh. The scenes shot in China speaks volumes of his talent.
But if Ghajini is the yardstick, 7 Aum Arivu misses the cut.
.jpg)