DAM 999 can easily be rated as a project with probably the best pre- release publicity received in 2011 both by effort and by chance. To have an idea just sample the below mentioned points related with the promotion of the film which can easily influence any serious cinema lover to go for it at the earliest:
An Indian English film, whose screenplay gets officially selected for The Oscar Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, even before its release, for the first time in India.
According to the makers 'The film is a tribute to the1975 Banqiao Dam disaster in China that claimed 250,000 innocent lives'. But the Indian Political authorities take it in a different way and BAN the movie in Tamil Nadu, on the grounds that it can disturb friendly ties between the State and Kerala related with Mullaperiyar Dam in the region.
The rumors spread that the movie is about, "What will happen if the Mullaperiyar Dam collapses due to any reason?"
The official website of the film, names many International Film Festivals where the film has strongly made its presence felt amongst the various appreciable films coming from all over the world.
The posters and publicity material of the film are all beautifully designed, showing a big dam with loads of water all over, suggesting a great Disaster Movie on the lines of Hollywood with some exceptional graphics and that too in 3D.
One of the taglines on the posters says – 'Take the journey of a lifetime - Nine characters, Nine moods and a crumbling dam of emotions... DAM 999 - experience it in 3D!'. (Probably indicating towards the 'Nine Rasas' of human emotions.)
Now who would not like to watch this film called DAM 999 after going through all these pre-release proceedings related with the project. So being in the same state of mind, I also went to see it eagerly with a hope to witness something out of the box as projected. But unfortunately, it couldn't fulfill majority of the expectations raised by its brilliant pre-release hype with its weak handling of an interesting script and mediocre performances.
First of all, I really couldn't understand the selection of its script for the Oscar Library. The story is no doubt interesting with a lot of emotional touch but its surely not anything which can be treated as capable of being the source material for the students of cinema all over the world. The tag line of DAM 999 does indicate towards The Ancient Indian Concept of Navarasas or the nine human emotions depicted in its script. But I really didn't find much of that in its plot because if seen from this angle then most of the Indian films are always made around these 9 human emotions only.
Secondly, on one hand all its publicity material, posters and promos were presented featuring the Dam Disaster very prominently. But on the other the film has only its last 15-20 minutes given to the Dam and rest of it focuses completely on the love and relationships progressing between its various characters. And to be straight DAM 999 is more of a touching, painful love saga and very less of a Disaster movie as wrongly projected by the makers, which remains the major factor working against it. Moreover, due to this same reason the 3D attraction also doesn't work in the film with just a few above average graphics strangely credited to a mixed technical team including many foreign names.
So, there is nothing even close to what you see in its promotional campaign to be precise. Content wise, it has a story based on two characters who do love each other from their early childhood, but are never able to become a couple due to their own destiny till the disaster separates them forever. Their true but controlled love is compared to a DAM which breaks open one day due to its huge pressure. The cast is an amalgamation of Indian & foreign artists who are not able to make any kind of contribution with their mediocre acting. But still I found a few positive things in this sincere attempt as given below:
The film takes you into a different culture and outdoor locations of South India (Kerela), with a soft introduction to AYURVED – An alternative healing therapy, raising many positive questions in mind about the ancient method of medicine and the inviting scenic beauty of South India.
It is originally made in English but I really liked the idea of using 3 different songs in Hindi, English and one in south Indian language (probably Tamil) in the film, quite intelligently. Among its all below average to average performances, there is one worth mentioning act coming from Vimala Raman who superbly plays the quite, suffering girl as the main victim of her own cruel destiny, which surely needs to be appreciated.
Hence, DAM 999 is not a great film, with a well designed Publicity Campaign supported by pretty weak execution of its basic theme. But I would still rate it better than all the RASCALS and DESI BOYZ because it at least doesn't treat the viewers as mere fools coming to the theater.
