It is easy to conflate Mumbai’s Hindi film business, Bollywood, with the entire Indian industry—but the South Indian film industry, (including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages) through critical and financial success, is steadily moving towards the limelight.

The first Tamil film to be released in Pakistan is the oddly titled I. Highly anticipated in Tamil Nadu and already one of the biggest releases of the year, the movie faces an uphill battle as neither director Shankar (known for 2010’s Robot) nor the stars are the selling factors in Pakistan. Here it cannot rely on hype but hinges on its own merits, of which there are only two: the cinematography and lead actor Vikram's stirring performance.

Visually I is a unique and unexpected treat. P.C. Sreeram guides us through an extravagant and bizarre universe bringing a profound richness to every frame. From gorgeous landscapes in China to zany gyms filled with oiled up bodybuilders, the movie is wonderful and exciting to look at. The otherworldly makeup and prosthetics for Vikram by Weta Workshop in New Zealand are equally stunning.

Vikram plays Lingesan, who seamlessly transforms from a humble body builder to a suave male model to a hideous hunchback. He fully embodies each role showcasing in turn an earnest, eager to please sincerity, a cultured refinement and finally bitter and heartbreaking pathos.

Vikram as Lingesan in a scene from film 'I'. – Courtesy photo

His hard work and dedication including gaining and losing weight, is apparent and praiseworthy even if the thin plot and shoddy storytelling keeps the rest of the movie from being enjoyable.

Lingesan is a body builder whose twin obsessions are winning the title of Mr India and along with the heart of super model Diya by dutifully buying every product she has ever endorsed.

Diya (inexplicably played by British model Amy Jackson) has been blacklisted by sleazy fellow model John (Upen Patel) when his attempts to seduce her fail miserably. To save her modeling career she enlists the simple Lingesan and through a make over and romance molds him into the charismatic star Lee.

Vikram in a scene from 'I'. – Courtesy photo

Their happiness is short-lived and Lee soon notices his body begins to transform into the grotesque. Lingesan's enemies are cartoon villains: they are John- the repugnant model who feels replaced, Osma (Ojas Rajani) a transgender stylist who is in love with Lee and mad at being rejected and a rival body builder who did not win Mr Tamil Nadu. Also not to forget, the rich businessman whose product Lee refuses to endorse.

Along with a fifth mystery person, they conspire to ruin his life by injecting him with the 'I' virus, which deforms him. A standard predictable revenge plot ensues where Lingesan concocts elaborate plans for retribution. Their bodies are similarly deformed as an outward manifestation of inner ugliness. It becomes difficult to be sympathetic towards this morally ambiguous and wronged creature obsessed with revenge.

Deformed Vikram from a scene in 'I'. — Courtesy photo

The musical score was melodious but inconsequential and the songs were not well integrated into the film. Nevertheless they were fun to watch as music videos. In one, Diya transforms into objects like a cell phone, a television set and a fish. Another is a gothic Beauty and the Beast fantasy sequence reminiscent of Meatloaf's 90's video for 'I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)'.

A scene from the film. – Courtesy photo

Clocking in at over 3 hours, I is much too long. The science is ridiculously farfetched and even as fantasy is hard to swallow. The inherent ‘transphobia’ is equally disturbing. The theme is also contradictory: we are supposed to overlook LIngesan's appearance and conclude that beauty is skin deep meanwhile the others are mocked mercilessly for their ugliness.

The movie is technologically innovative but intellectually stale. Chopping off an hour or two, more nuanced villains and a more developed story might have made it watchable. As it stands, the fun colorful trailer has more to offer than the actual film.

2.5/5 stars

Hala Syed is a culture critic who writes on television, fashion and food.