Dasvatharam and Chaos theory

As I mentioned in my previous post, Dasavatharam was yet another ordinary movie in my view and honestly it doesn't deserve a second post. But when Kamal fans start extapolating its greatness especially with respect to chaos theory, butterfly effect and Kamal's genius in closely knitting these into the story line, it is my duty to convey whatever I felt on those lines.

To begin with, what is chaos theory and what is butterfly effect? If you are too good at Maths and equations/scientific notions are everything for you, you should be able to comprehend the wiki definitions of chaos theory and buttefly effect. But if you are a layman like me, the illustration of this concept is pretty simple. Let's assume that there is a huge mountain strip whose peak is as high as Mt.Everest. Assume that I'm letting a small bouncing ball roll off the peak. If I let go of the ball from two different positions even inches apart, the place where this ball lands up is going to be differing to a great extent - perhaps two different countries altogether. This extreme sensitivity to the initial state or the starting point is called butterfly effect. Why is it called so? Since weather is a chaotic system, the displacement of air that the flap of a butterfly's wings can alter the path of a tornado... Sounds silly? Imagine this way... If a tornado is at its infancy where air pressure is starting to build up, and that eye is displaced a few inches by the flap of a butterfly's wings, then this small displacement (like the positions inches away on Mt. Everest) can cause a huge difference in the end point of the tornado. Perhaps, it can even stop the tornado if the flap happened to counteract the pressure that was starting to build. So the butterfly actually didn't make or break the tornado consciously but it just happened as a conaequence of its flap especially since the tornado was at its infancy. Chaos theory talks about the seemingly random (randomness is always interesting) dynamic systems (systems that involve constant changes in state) that are sensitive to their intial states as in the butterfly effect. This could be seen as the modified version of 'Karma' that Hinduism describes.

Coming to the question of what Dasavatharam to do with this, I honestly find it difficult to answer. The most common interpretation that Kamal fans give is that the course of action is being changed by each and every role of Kamal and there lies the beauty of the film. Well, let us think... If that is the case, there are so many (or should I say all) movies that have destiny playing a role. A crossing dog causes an accident where a young girl is made a widow or a rash driver hits a petrol pump that kills hundreds; are some common examples of this pattern. So it doesn't have anything to do with Dasavatharam in particular, is my point. Kamal/Ravikumar has just found out an alternate name for fate.

Second point is on the butterfly effect. Anyone sensible would understand that this should've happened only at the beginning of the movie if at all it happened. So Kamal is dropped with a huge Vishnu idol and since the Vishnu idol hit the bottom of the ocean and it created a δx differntial in the tectonic plate, it changed the course of a Tsunami and that tsunami changes the fate of a state. Accepted. But if this is the case, how does the scientist character or anyone for that matter infer that it is because of this incident and narrate that in a public gathering? It's like someone in New Orleans explaining which flap of which butterfly caused hurricane Katrina. To me the whole Nambi sequence nothing more than a baseless accusation on the Saivites. I've observed Kamal pointing out to saivism and saivites particularly on the negative side during his interviews (see video below) and this has taken it to new heights.



The incident that he points out in this interview is a contest between Jains and Saivites (Pandiyas) on the greatness of their Gods and the jains started the contest saying they could prove their greatness failing which they'll commit suicide. When they failed, half of them ran away and the rest committed suicide. This incident comes to Kamal's mind even when he is drunk and he takes this as a negative example while there are a million other points to quote about the changing culture.

The article on Kulothunga chozha in wiki would throw some light on what actually happened in the reign of the king.

Put together as much as I admire Kamal as a good actor, it is surprising when his fans call him 'Alwarpet Andavar' (God from Alwarpet) and quote 'I'm not an atheist like Kamal because he is my God'; for he is neither Einstein nor Vivekananda to be workshipped scientifically or spiritually. :)