Raayan
Introduction
In a scene in the new Tamil film Raayan, you see a twn headed version of the protagonist(symbolizing Raavana) as seen through the gaze of a character before completely mauling him to pulp. In a separate scene, you see the sister of the protagonist taking the form of Goddess Durga while eliminating the evil in front of her. These two mutually exclusive events although not directly connected, reflect on the relationship that the protagonist shares with his sister, a close-knit bond that largely remains unperturbed by the situations around them. But Raayan does seem a little too convenient and generic from the writing perspective, more-so in the second hour. I was really looking forward to watching the new Tamil film Raayan. And it had more to do with Dhanush the director, more than Dhanush the actor, while being curious on how he would be able to handle both the departments. This, even while I was moderately skeptical about the script that essentially felt like a gangster drama to begin with. Yet, I have been a fan of Dhanush who has the tendency of lifting even a mediocre script to something more than watchable. So there was still hope for me as I ventured into the Tamil film Raayan with good enough expectations while hoping for a roller coaster of emotions. Does Raayan manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Raayan follows the family of a character who is embroiled in the world of gangsters along with his family, while having to deal with his own share of betrayals involving his near and dear ones. The story here is presented in grand fashion although at its core, it is a generic revenge cum survival drama. And while the writing does score with its terrific world building that gave me a distant recall of the other Dhanush starrer Vada Chennai, it falters in the second hour primarily with the equations that it draws up with respect to the characters, something that was intended to lay the foundation for a pay-off at the end, but it didn’t quite sit right with the arcs that were drawn. This is not to say that the drama is a complete miss, it definitely has some intriguing moments at its disposal even as the stakes rise in the drama. My only gripe was the shifting equations of the characters which didn’t quite sit right, even as the drama enters the category of convenience with respect to its screenplay standing at 140 odd minutes.
The drama begins with the introduction of a young protagonist who is tasked with the responsibility of taking care of his siblings, even as his parents leave only never to return. So pretty early on, he has a fatherly connect towards them, almost being overtly protective with each of his moves even as he shifts to the city with them. As a result, he is closest to his youngest sibling, his sister particularly because she has grown up without parents right from the very beginning, with the only parental person around her being Raayan. This is in stark contrast to Raayan’s relationship with his other two brothers, both of whom are close to each other but a little distant to Raayan and his controlling nature. This is reflective in their opening act wherein both their tracks unfold and culninate with fights in the form of a split screen, giving the viewers an impression that both are cut from the same cloth while later on giving an impression of their growing distance with their elder brother.
The proceedings are engaging particularly in the first hour with the entire buildup that transpires even with the setup of the rival gangster gangs with a shrewd cop thrown in the mix. And this is where the first conflict in the drama is introduced, wherein a character finds himself in middle of a cross-fire between members of the rival gangs, thereby triggering a chain of events which would directly impact the protagonist and other members of the family. That is also the turning point in the drama that briefly steps away from the family equations and unleashes the beast of sorts in what was an incredible interval block filled with gore and blood. The issue with the screenplay though begins from this point even as the writing gets more cliched and convenient in the second hour although supremely watchable.
The second hour essentially focuses on the game of one-upmanship featuring a character who is slight insecure with the brief shift in power to his throne. This, even as the second hour unleashes a sort of a blood bath featuring multiple characters, some of whom who also raise the stakes in the drama by switching sides. The issue was not the stakes in the drama that were raised but the justification around them that did not quite sit right. And the subsequent revenge angle too didn’t work partly given the skewed character arcs that were in store. All of this, while the generic gangster template was in play that did not necessarily have something new to offer. This included the final act which was excellent with its staging and presentation but slightly underpar with the intended actions of a few characters, given how the foundation of the issue wasn’t as strong in the first place. This also diluted the overall impact of the drama, reducing it to be watchable but nothing beyond that.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues have massy elements tactfully integrated in the narrative that go perfectly with the mood of the drama. The music by AR Rahman is excellent, offering a pulsating soundtrack that goes well with the modern mythological references that are integrated in the narrative. The same definitely drives the adrenaline rush with raising the bars of intensity and tension in the drama. The BGM does its bit in elevating the drama at regukar junctures in the screenplay. The cinematography and production design is excellent, comprising of frames that capture the rawness in the drama with such panache. The complimentary lighting that you see, particular in the finale sequence was incredible and it added layers of style to the proceedings. The editing is good, and worth mentioning in the action sequences which are brilliantly choreographed. Director Dhanush has an incredible outing in only his second directorial venture. His prowess as a director can be made from the fact that he converts a generic script into something watchable by infusing elements of grandeur for a stunning visual appeal. I also loved his control with the world building at the start, only briefly stuttering in the post interval portions with respect to the character arcs that were showcased. But overall, the direction was excellent here.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar as Sethu’s wife and Saravanan as Dulai have their moments to shine. Aparna Balamurali as Mekhala holds her own and has some wonderful moments of outbursts wherein she expresses herself really well. Selvaraghavan as Sekhar is earnest and sincere and delivers an act filled with a lot of restraint. Prakash Raj as Commissioner Sargunam manages to impress although his character is too sketchy and conveniently penned. SJ Suryah as Sethu adds moments of madness to his character while playing the perfect nemesis to the protagonist. He is simply phenomenal here. Kalidas Jayaram as Manickam is a layered character offering a dual nature of greed and naivety that is deeply inherited in him. And while he is terrific here, the writing offers him a character arc that is half-baked without much redemption that was slightly off with respect to the characterization. Sundeep Kishan as Muthu meets with a similar fate almost a little more purposeful, even as Sundeep was brilliant with the portrayal of a character with shifting morals. One of my favourite characters of the film had to be Dushara Vijayan who is incredible as Durga. Not only does she possess a caring demeanor, she also excels in combat sequences by adding solid bouts of intensity to her character. She does an incredible job here. Dhanush as Raayan delivers on the acting front as well by adding dollops of intensity in a character that did the balancing act with a range of emotions. He was phenomenal with the amount of physicality that he brought to his character that made for an incredible watch.
Conclusion
Raayan features excellent performances and amazing technicalities that overpower a generic script. The writing remains on the lower side and slightly dilutes the overall impact of the drama. Having said that, the style and execution is immensely satisfying that portrays the rise of Dhanush as the director, who expertly elevates a regular gangster-template drama and makes it a good watch overall. Available in a theatre near you.