ENDHIRAN: INDIAN OR INTERNATIONAL

Courtesy : BEHINDWOODS

150-175 crores, the budget is almost on par with some Hollywood flicks. Shankar, Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai – the biggest team in Indian cinema. The film has Indian stars, is being made in an Indian language, but will be truly world class in standards. Laden with Oscar winners galore (the total number of Oscars won by people working in Endhiran is more than 20) and boasting of famed international studios and experts in its technical team, Endhiran is more international than any Indian film has been. Take a look at all the factors that make Endhiran a truly international experience while still being an Indian film at heart.

Sound and Music: 3 Oscars

The music and sound department is helmed by two men. They are undisputedly the best in India at what they do. But, having three Oscars between them proves that they can stake claim to be among the best in the world. Therefore, the sound and music that we get in Endhiran will be nothing short of world class. The music, we have already been hearing since July 31; scored by musical wizard AR Rahman; 2 Oscars. And, the sound department has been handled by Resool Pookutty; 1 Oscar. The last time this team got together was for Ghajini (Hindi). But, this time they have a much bigger stage and much bigger avenues to showcase their class and we are sure that they have done full justice to the magnum opus of the Indian film industry.

Visual Effects: 16 Oscars

Now, we do not know the official record for the most number of Oscars won by a person or organization, but we are quite sure that this must be it; 16 Oscars. If there is any other organization in the world that has more Oscar statuettes, it can only be the Academy itself. Industrial Light and Magic, the visual effects studio found in the 1970s is the world leader in what it does. Just taking a look at the list of films that they have done will tell the story. All Hollywood films known for their stunning visual effects have relied on this studio. That includes the Star Wars and Star Trek series, the Terminator series, ET, Indian Jones franchise, Harry Potter series, Pirates of the Caribbean series, Jurassic Park and The Lost World up to Avatar. This tells that this studio is totally and utterly dominant when it comes to special effects in Hollywood. It is this studio that Shankar has chosen for Endhiran. We can expect nothing but the best.

Make up: 3 Oscars

With Rajnikanth having to look steely, metallic and stylish as Chitty – the Robot, the make up just had to be world class. And, it is no surprise that Shankar called upon one of the most reputed firms in the world when it comes to make-up and special effects supervision: the Stan Winston Studio. Founded by three time Oscar winner Stan Winston, the studio has a rich legacy of being involved in the most path breaking films over decades including Terminator, Aliens, Predator, Batman, Jurassic Park up to the latest hits Avatar and Shutter Island. Looks like Superstar looks are going to be the talk of the town once the movie hits screens.

Action

Think of some English films that have adrenaline pumping fights. Not car chases, but man to man fights, the kind that we get to see in martial arts films. No one will be able to forget Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or the Forbidden Kingdom. Or can you forget films like the Drunken Master which pivoted the growth of Jackie Chan into an international star. Or, if you want some high tech action, then think of the Matrix Trilogy or the Kill Bill series. All these films were done by one man, Yuen Woo-Ping, martial arts expert and stunt coordinator and he has choreographed the fight sequences for Endhiran. Get ready for some high octane action, the kind never before seen in Indian cinema.

The biggest Indian release

There have only been two Hollywood franchises that have released with more than 2000 prints worldwide; Spiderman and Twilight. Now, Endhiran will be the first in India and the third in the world to go for this huge number. We don’t know the exact number of prints as yet, but it is definitely above 2000 and the number of screens will be above 3000. Well, for a budget of more than 150 crores, this does seem necessary. And, what more, HBO will be distributing the film all over the world while Sun Pictures will hold rights in India. Endhiran, most definitely, is the biggest thing to happen to Indian cinema.