DASAVATHAARAM (TAMIL 2008)

Dasavathaaram is a 2008 Tamil language Indian feature film directed by K. S. Ravikumar, who features alongside actor Kamal Haasan for the fourth time. In the film, Haasan appears in ten different roles, breaking the record for an actor's portrayal of the most characters in any film.[citation needed]. Asin Thottumkal appears in a dual role and Mallika Sherawat plays the leading female role in the film. Dasavathaaram, which had been under production since mid-2005, was produced and primarily distributed by Venu Ravichandran, who made the film with a budget of 60 crore Indian rupees.[2] The soundtrack to the film is composed by Himesh Reshammiya, whilst Devi Sri Prasad composed the background score. Cinematoraphy and editing were conducted by Ravi Varman and Ashmith Kunder respectively, while Michael Westmore was the chief make-up artiste for the film.
The film revolves around bringing together the lives of several individuals during the week prior to the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Primarily, the story revolves around a research scientist who loses a biological weapon of mass destruction in the United States of America. The weapon is also sought by an ex-CIA officer for his own use. Thus begins a cat and mouse chase throughout several countries, as the scientist and the ex-CIA officer vie for the possession of the weapon. The proceedings are affected by several characters and their issues which disrupt the weapon from going to the hands of the ex-CIA officer. The story occurs within a week building up to the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.
After post-production problems delaying release for one and a half years, it was released worldwide on June 13, 2008 in the Tamil language, with a simultaneous dubbed version released in Telugu. The film, which was released in many theaters worldwide, is set to be dubbed into Hindi and released later in the year. The film, upon release, became one of the biggest blockbusters ever in Tamil cinema.[3]The scene switches to the week preceding the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, beginning on December 20, 2004. Govindarajan Ramaswamy, commonly known as Govind, is a biotechnologist working at a lab in California, USA. He works in an organization which had invented a deadly virus which has the potential to be the greatest bio-weapon ever made by man, with the actual matter being kept well protected. However during an announcement with George Bush, Govind's lab monkey breaches the security protecting the bio-weapon and swallows it, killing it and producing a devastating effect. Following this discovery, Govind wants to destroy it, with the only possible remedy being the mixing of the weapon with sodium chloride. But his boss, Dr. Sethu (Rajesh Toleti) at the organization has a different idea and attempts to sell it to terrorist organizations. Upon the discovery of this, Govind makes off with the vial containing the virus and flees to his friend, Suresh's (Sanjay) home. Suresh betrays Govind and informs the boss that Govind is at his house.
Suddenly Christian Fletcher (Kamal Haasan), who is an ex-CIA officer, also appears in the scene wanting the vial for his own nefarious purposes. At Suresh's house, Govind manages to escape without harm but Suresh and his Japanese wife, Yuka (Ann), are murdered by Fletcher. The escaping Govind, finds himself in a car with another friend, Sairam, in whose belongings, the vial gets mixed up accidentally, sending the vial by mistake to Chidambaram in India. Unable to stop the flight, Govind finally manages to escape from the USA by sneaking aboard a cargo flight. Receiving intelligence on this issue, Fletcher decides to fly to India to recover the vial. Prior to leaving, he finds himself a translator in the Las Vegas pole dancer, Jasmine (Mallika Sherawat); also getting married to her before leaving. In Japan, Shingen Narahashi (Kamal Haasan), a Japanese martial arts expert and brother of Yuka, thinks it was Govind who killed his sister and comes to India, seeking revenge.
Upon arrival at Chennai airport, the vial is transferred to another plane and Telugu intelligence officer, Balram Naidu (Kamal Haasan) intervenes and questions Govind, who insists on talking to higher authorities but to no avail. As Naidu walks out of the room briefly, Fletcher invades the building taking Govind and a police officer, Bharath (Akash) hostage. The trio along with Jasmine are stopped at immigration but mange to escape after a Punjabi pop singer, Avtaar Singh (Kamal Haasan), faints and causes a frenzy at the airport. Eventually Akash gets shot and during this, Govind manages to escape from Fletcher and flees to Chidambaram in hope of finding the vial. Subsequently, Fletcher and Jasmine hire a driver, Broadway Kumar (M. S. Baskar) to transport them to Chidambaram as well.
The vial ultimately ends up at the house of a Brahmin family in Chidambaram. The vial, delivered in a parcel by the postman Prabhu (Vayapuri), is taken in by a 95-year-old, senile woman, Krishnaveni (Kamal Haasan), who lives in belief of receiving a parcel from her son, who perished in 1953. Govind pleads for it to no avail, but eventually changes the mind of Krishnaveni, after explaining the scientific threat to her granddaughter, Andaal (Asin Thottumkal). Krishnaveni responds by putting the vial inside the idol of the deity, Perumal, citing that God would destroy the weapon. Fletcher and Jasmine, eventually arrive in Chidambaram and Jasmine attempts to seduce Prabhu and Naidu's assistant, Ekambaram (Chitti Babu) to reveal Govind's location.

Govind (Haasan) trying to escape from Fletcher (also Haasan).
Govind tries to secure the vial before Fletcher and Jasmine reach them. Soon, Fletcher fires his gun near an elephant and it starts rampaging, with Jasmine getting badly hurt in the commotion. Lest she should say something, Fletcher shoots her dead. Govind tries to escape with the idol but Andaal, who worships the idol, tries to stop him. Eventually they both escape and after a long chase, they manage to reach the old Chola Temple, where the King watched the idol of Vishnu being thrown into the ocean in 12th century. Govind remembers that the vial should be kept cool so they bury the idol in cold sand and go in search of ice to maintain the temperature.