7 aum Arivu

 Director Muruga doss must be complimented for his forward outlook and courage to make a movie by linking history with DNA research which is something new to the Tamil  audience.  The  film takes dates  back to 6th century A D depicting a super natural human in Bodhi Dharman, a decedent of Pallava dynasty who goes to China to preach and teach the art of self defence coupled with medical science and treatments for unknown dreaded, epidemic diseases from out of herbs and personal skills and goes on to become a respected  human and eventually to attain the status of a god amongst the people of China.  The statue of Bodhi Dharman is offered  prayers even today in the temples of Shaolin.  However, the claim of Bodhi dharman being a Tamil and a deity of Shaolin temple raises the eyebrows of viewers  in disbelief as there is no resemblance or shade of any Indian origin in those sculptures and statues.  The film jumps to the modern day and the story of the modern Surya takes birth.
The Chinese are ready to wage a Biological warfare over India and the only hurdle seems to be a young scientist in Shruti Hasan who is into research and DNA analysis who is hell bent to find the descendants of Bodhi Verman, successfully finds out the best matched DNA descendant in Arvind(Surya) who is employed in a circus and  is able to activate the Sleeping DNA cells in him  to fight and defeat the Chinese plans to conquer India!    The fight sequences are quite elaborate with the hero and the villain flying up in the air and exchanging kicks and blows that could break a wall or pierce through glass windows and doors!  The audience is amused and partly happy to see the humans fly in the air and fight while they are unable to even get up from the seats after a session of pop-corns and hot samosas that are served in the hall itself?  The Chinese villain Dong Lee is as handsome and impressive as Surya and justifies his character role.  The action scenes where motorists and trucks, whose brains  come under the control of the Chinese villain trying to ram their vehicles on Surya and Shruthi are quite brilliantly taken and can be easily compared to that of a Hollywood action movie!  

Actor Surya looks smashing often showing off his 6 pack module while Sruti Hasan looks pretty.  Bodhi Dharman's  ability to make the dust and leaves rise out of the ground and directing them towards the opponent shows the skill of the camera person rather than the actor?  However, Surya makes up in showing his acting skills in the second half romancing Shruti Hasan with a couple of duets scored by Harris Jayaraj who seems to have lost his composition skills and dwells on repetitive tunes lifted from earlier songs.  The opening song which has some awkward, unheard sounding phrases quietly passes on to be Chinese and neither the lyricist nor the music director have any role in turning out the song as it sounds totally alien with hardly a few Tamil words in it!   The last frame fight between the hero and the Chinese villain is too stretched and only full of dry leaves, mud and shrubs which triggers Asthma in those who are prone!  The eventual killing of the villain is disappointing considering so much of efforts and trick shots that were formed  to boost the climax to make the audience sit on the edge of their seats.  The final dialogue spoken by Surya is meaningful and sends a message to one and all to cite science as a reason for many of our beliefs rather than traditions and to embrace the olden ways of medical science that were available  for the present day ailments and fitness.  One thing the director should have also asked Surya to speak is to pronounce Tamizh as Tamizh and not kill the language with the present day music and singers!  Shruti also has to learn Tamizh from her father to anchor her presence in the Tamil film world. Her skills prevail when she prefers to speak in Tamizh in the meeting of scientists assembled to discuss about a Tamilian and takes them all single handedly and walks out in a huff.  The difference in characters portrayed by Surya as Bodhi Dharman and as a circus artiste has given Surya a wider scope to prove his mettle in acting.   The pair does well in the romantic scenes as well and are impressive.

The picture can be watched with interest once despite the boos and hoots the audience gives during the film looking at things which are beyond digestion?  Director Muruga Doss has induced dialogues speaking about the glory of Tamils in many scenes and has brought in shades of politics in supporting the slain Tamizh rebel leader and the burning of Tamil library etc.. which are unwarranted for this movie.  As the news goes, this film has been released in Srilanka duly censored by the authorities which defeats the very purpose of these dialogues. These heroic Tamil dialogues are heard only in Tamilnadu for the locals to hear and fan their ego!
The opening credits in the film  are shown in such speed that one requires 8 aum arivu to read them super fast!!