Hey Ram

I had heard that Kamal Hassan was a good actor, so I decided to check out Hey Ram. I knew nothing of the plot (best way to see a movie; no expectations...) and I must admit I was emotionally overwhelmed by the end of it.

Kamal Hassan is an amazing actor who is not only passionate about his work but also about his country. And what a pleasure to see Shah Rukh in a minor part.

Hey Ram is a film that every American actor, writer, and director should study. Few American films have had such an effect on me. I highly recommend it.

A truly amazing experience.....One cannot explain the kind of feeling that creeps into your heart at the end of this movie...its a hard-hitting mixture of reality with a very interesting element of fiction thrown in.....every aspect of the movie was breath-taking...the music by the Maestro Ilayaraaja..especially the songs...Nee partha, Isayil thodanguthamma and hey ram.....The BGM completely gels with the movie ..... Coming to the acting, I personally feel this is one of the best movies of almost every actor in the movie..Kamal is his usual splendid self....Watch him become the happy lover, the broken human being, the idealist and finally the old man with wrinkles of experience...the idea of having used colour in the past and b/w in the present is definitely a great concept.....Other than Kamal Haasan, Atul Kulkarni and Rani Mukherjee have given mind-blowing performances....Kulkarni is an incredibly talented actor and one can see the emotion in his eyes that speak most of his dialogues in the movie...Rani mukherjee is the perfect fit for her role of a Bengali teacher and has given a wonderful performance......The movie comes as a kind of rebel in the usual masala Indian movies genre and is a must watch for anyone interested in gaining a wholesome experience....Another feather on India cinema's cap.....

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is an idolized figure in India. He is one who is almost raised to the status of GOD by many. Films such as Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" have glorified this figure repeatedly and rightfully so. However, this is only one side of the story. What Kamal Haasan shows through "Hey! Ram" is that Gandhi is a part of history and history cannot be changed and needs to be told as it was. Gandhi was not the "glory" that he is believed to be for everyone! There were numerous people who opposed him and his policies. Contrary to much of the controversy behind this film, "Hey! Ram" does not trivialize Gandhi, nor does it blame him. In fact, the main character, Saket Ram (Kamal Haasan in a powerhouse performance)learns to appreciate Gandhi by the end of the journey. The point of the film is not that he does learn to appreciate Gandhi despite being chosen as his potential assassin, but rather the way he makes his journey to that point. This journey is so masterfully and artistically directed by Kamal Haasan that one cannot help but sit back and be stunned at what this genius is capable of. What Haasan has created with "Hey! Ram" is not only an epic film but perhaps the biggest casting coup of the decade with actors like Nasseeruddin Shah (who makes a better Gandhi than Ben Kingsley), Om Puri, Shahrukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Girish Karnad and many other prominent names of the Indian Film Industry. The cinematography is simply brilliant and Renu Saluja's editing is a work of art. Ilayaraja's music is a highly emotive score that effectively blends western orchestral arrangements with traditional carnatic sounds. "Hey! Ram" is one of the greatest Indian films ever made. It takes a lot of intelligence and passion to make and appreciate a film like "Hey! Ram."

What an emotional and eye opening journey regarding the dangerous mix of religion and politics. The same dangerous mix we still face today. How can we profess to be products of a creator when we malign and even kill each other for the sake of an interpretation of our creator's being, the love that must have been to create us in the first place. I have just watched the DVD and cannot quite crying for the waste of good lives - the same waste occurring today. Will we ever learn?! Just a note on Shahrukh Khan's role and performance in the film...it was very understated and very moving. Since he his a Muslim, wouldn't it be nice to see him more roles expressing his own beliefs? It's amazing what influence a popular celebrity can have on popular thought. During such a time of religious warfare, it would be nice to see more films such as this that leave one with the conclusion the religious wars are an abomination. That there really is no such thing as a righteous war. Killing in the same of our creator is much the same as killing our siblings in the name of our parents. Can you imagine them condoning such behavior? Not I.

This was an excellent film on several levels including artistry, story line, and acting and direction. For what ever reason one would want to view films, except for simple mindless escapism, this is one to view and digest.

A Real Eye-Opener... and that's what its is. First of all I would like to inform that I haven't yet watched the original version of this movie which claims to be better than this Hindi version.That's the reason I can't compare both movies. This movie has it all,whether its Hard-Core Reality, maturity, direction, special-effects and most of all great acting and true-to-the-core screenplay which provides us with nothing but tough reality which can be bargained for nothing, NOT even for what everybody calls, Religious Tolerance. However one tries to ignore it,one cannot defy the hard truthfulness of the subject of this movie. As far as the plot is concerned it's imaginary but not impossible. The idea that there could have been more than one potential killers of Gandhiji is not impossible.But that is not what the talented Kamal Haasan want to present in front of us.Instead he wants to introduce the ACTUAL circumstances during the times of Indian struggle for freedom. he has truly depicted the life of an average Indian who truly loves his motherland and beautifully depicted the transformations he undergoes from an anti-Muslim, anti-Gandhi to a humanataranian. My personal favourite from the movie though is not Kamal's character but that of Atul Kulkarni's.The way he lives his life as tough as that,his inteligence,his intense love for his motherland which overrides his mind even in the eventuality of facing a physical disorder which he has to suffer and also as a result of which he get bedridden is truly inspirational.And most of all it was TRUE in those days! The visual-effects though not the greatest but are great. This script is what we can call a revolution in (1)typical Indian's thinking standards,(2)expression of hard-core reality. Also as a movie its simply great for its acting,visual effects, direction and most of all its Script. Truly, this movie enjoyed the well deserved nomination from India's part in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.And it well could have been the winner if only it could have been possible for Kamal Haasan to put much more necessary efforts in that direction. Finally,though not a completely perfect movie still I would give it a 10 out of 10 due to its TRUTHFULNESS. If the Always Talented Kamal Haasan makes a next movie even half good as this one I would like to watch it. Its unarguably the best of all Indian movies including Hindi ones.

It's my personal Rank One among my top ten Indian (though not international)movies. The future would be great if more individuals would watch more mature movies like this. Also this is my first review of its kind so if possible forgive me for any misgivings.