Rating: 1 on 5

Cast: Dr. Kamal Haasan in ten avatars, Asin, Mallika Sherawat and Jayaprada

Director: K. S. Ravikumar

Kamal Haasan plays ten different characters in the film ranging from a 12 century Vaishnav priest to a modern day scientist to George Bush and Punjabi popstar Avtaar Singh to an 80-year old lady. Basically, his scientist character saves the day each time but the film didn't work for us.

10 reasons not to see Dashavatar

1) I went to watch the movie expecting it to be half decent but it wasn’t even that. People began to get annoyed ten minutes into the movie and many left during the interval. The intolerable cruelty got worse after the interval, so people left before the movie ended too.

2) There is a lot of violence and gore. I didn’t expect that. Kamal Haasan’s hook-hanging scene is reminiscent of the feats you have seen on AXN’s Ripley’s Believe It or Not. And the way they show the hooks piercing his flesh makes you cringe and look away

3) The well endowed and seductive Mallika Sherawat sizzles in her pole dancing sequence and during the rest of her itsy-bitsy role. Sadly, all good things come to an end and the hottie, who is one of the few reasons to keep your eyes to the screen, dies a gruesome death. How can they kill such a desirable woman like that? What a loss to humanity. And the scene where the seductress whips one of her victims is lewd. 4) If you didn’t like Ghajini or thought it was too violent and mindless, there is no chance you will like Dashavatar. Why did they spend sixty precious crores on this film?

5) Initially the camerawork by Ravi Verman, which is supposed to transport you to the scene of action (like the IMAX format), is impressive but ten minutes later it makes you dizzy.

6) Kamal Haasan’s character of American ex-CIA agent Christian Fletcher, who has blond hair, a huge muscular body and a harsh face, looks like a life-size version of the G.I. Joe action figures. His George Bush avatar is sheer mockery. But kudos to the make up artist and Kamal Haasan for pulling off ten different avatars. Sadly, we couldn’t muster the patience to see them all.

7) We got a whiff of how bubbly and talkative Asin is in Ghajini. She looked adorable too. She has a double role in the film and she has acted well but you don’t want to put yourself through this 3 hour plus torture just for her performance. The constant chatter gets on your nerves. Watch Ghajini (the Aamir version preferably) instead, if you are that big a fan.

8) This movie will not appeal at all to the discerning multiplex viewer. If you are that bored, make sure you take a huge group of friends along and laugh at this unintentionally funny movie

9) With Mallika’s sex appeal and the brutal murders, gore and violence, this isn’t a family film at all. We wonder why it has a 'universal' certificate.

10) The dubbing is poor. The songs are nothing to rave about. The scenes have silly dialogues and drag on pointlessly with characters that gyrate on your nerves, making you wonder when the film will progress. The film will remind you of a late 80s or mid-90s Hindi movie. You don’t want to see it.