Movie Name : Raayan
Release Date : July 26, 2024
Cast : Dhanush, S. J. Suryah, Prakash Raj, Selvaraghavan, Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, Dushara Vijayan, Aparna Balamurali, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Saravanan etc.
Director : Dhanush
Music Director : A. R. Rahman
Telugumopo.com Rating: 2.5/5
Story:
Raayan begins with a flashback, showing four siblings—three brothers and their newborn sister—fleeing their village and finding shelter in the city. There, they are fortunate to be taken in by Sekar (Selvaraghavan), a handyman in a vegetable market. The narrative then shifts to the present, where the siblings have grown up with distinct personalities. The youngest brother, Manickam (Kalidas Jayaram), is a college student known for his sense of justice. Muthu (Sundeep Kishan), the middle brother, is impulsive and often angry. The eldest brother, Raayan (Dhanush), is the responsible one, acting as a father figure. Their strong bond is maintained by their love for their sister, Durga (Dushara Vijayan). According to Raayan, their family will only be complete when Durga is married and has a child.
However, while trying to arrange Durga’s marriage, Raayan becomes ensnared in a power struggle between two gangsters, Sethu (SJ Suryah) and Durai (Saravanan), who have a contentious history and dominate the locality. At the same time, a new police officer in town (Prakash Raj) is subtly instigating conflict between the gangsters, hoping to provoke a confrontation that will allow him to clean up the city.
Review :
Dhanush gave a heartfelt performance, displaying excellent expressions and emotions that enhanced the scenes. Nonetheless, the role seemed custom-made for him, and he has portrayed similar characters many times in the past.
Sundeep Kishan excelled, impressing with his unique mannerisms and dialect. He had a substantial role and portrayed it effectively. Dushara Vijayan shone in the role of the sister, bringing intense expressions and emotions that elevated several scenes. Varalakshmi Sarath Kumar’s role was minor and lacked significance. Prakash Raj performed his role appropriately. Saravanan made a notable impact, and S.J. Suryah demonstrated his acting talent with distinctive mannerisms. Selvaraghavan fulfilled his role well, while Aparna Baalamurali, portraying a slum girl deeply in love with Sundeep Kishan, fit the role perfectly and delivered a commendable performance.
Raayan, written by Dhanush, centers on the theme of a brother’s love for his sister. While this storyline has been explored in numerous films before, Dhanush adheres to a familiar template, infusing it with his own twists and emotional depth. The narrative begins with a flashback to establish the sibling bond and then transitions to explore their lives as gangsters disrupt their peaceful existence.
Dhanush primarily focused on portraying emotions, and he succeeded in bringing them to life on screen.However, the drawback is that the characters and plot developments can become predictable.
Given that Dhanush directed the film, expectations were high for something more creative and original. He worked on enhancing the characters through engaging scenes, and some of these scenes did leave an impression. AR Rahman’s music, though fitting, provided a solid background score. The production values are impressive.
Raayan offers a familiar narrative, following the well-trodden path of gangster sagas we’ve seen in numerous films. While Dhanush attempts to provide a fresh perspective and succeeds to some extent, the story remains largely predictable. Emotional action dramas often include numerous emotional moments between the lead characters and sometimes feature a heroic backstory for the protagonist. However, Raayan steers clear of these clichés. The film lacks any real surprises, with a first half that progresses predictably and reaches its peak at the interval. The second half also feels foreseeable, and the climax could have been more impactful.
