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Raayan Movie Review: Dhanush’s highly awaited second directorial has a weak story held together by technical brilliance
Planning to watch Dhanush’s much awaited second directorial Raayan in theaters? Read Pinkvilla’s review of the emotional action flick for further insights!
Name: Raayan
Director: Dhanush
Cast: Dhanush, Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, Dushara Vijayan, Selvaraghavan, SJ Suryah, Aparna Balamurali
Writer: Dhanush
Rating: 3/5
Dhanush’s second directorial venture, Raayan, has been the talk of the town right from the time it was announced. The film, which also features the Captain Miller actor in the lead role, boasts an ensemble cast including Kalidas Jayaram, Sundeep Kishan, SJ Suryah, Dushara Vijayan, Aparna Balamurali, Prakash Raj, Selvaraghavan and many more in crucial roles. Raayan has finally hit the theaters on July 26, with fans all over the country heading to theatres to watch the film. But is it really worth the hype? Let’s discuss.
The Plot of Raayan
Raayan follows the tale of a family of four siblings, the eldest being Dhanush’s character Kathavaraayan, followed by Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, and Dushara Vijayan’s characters. As kids, the siblings are forced to flee their home in a truck. Selvaraghavan’s character finds them, and takes on the role of an informal guardian, helping the adamant Kathavaraayan find a job, as well as finding a place for himself.
Over the years, the Raayan siblings have found a good setting and are running a fast food truck. Additionally, Dhanush’s character was able to work enough to send his siblings to school, and Kalidas Jayaram’s character to college. Sundeep Kishan’s character is a careless, alcoholic rowdy, who has a reputation for picking fights.
However, when one of Sundeep Kishan’s fights goes wrong, it brings the Raayan family to a discourse, forced to face the local organized crime syndicate. What follows forms the crux of the story.
What works in Raayan
The biggest highlight for Raayan, right from its posters, was the brilliant color palette, which is visible in the cinematography by Om Prakash as well. The beautiful shots, colors, and camera work make Raayan nothing short of a visual treat.
Going in tandem with the cinematography is Prasanna GK’s editing. The renowned editor has carefully weaved the story together in a manner that each character has its own importance and has used editing as a seamless mode of communicating with the audience.
Another major highlight in Raayan is the music by AR Rahman. The maestro’s work has undoubtedly brought life into the film. The energetic music is sure to give goosebumps and elevate the film to a whole new level. One major aspect that needs to be mentioned is the beautiful use of silence in the film, which helps build the tension in each scene.
Another department that has to be mentioned is the film’s action department, which has managed to choreograph magnificent fight sequences, which are sure to give the audience a thrill. Each fight sequence is unlike the one before it and plays out beautifully on screen.
Lastly, the direction by Dhanush deserves a special mention as well. As the writer and director of the film, not only has the VIP actor been able to extract the best performances by all his cast, but he also made sure that each character has a significant element to convey to the story. In a recent interview, co-actor SJ Suryah mentioned that Dhanush personally got involved in the lighting, set work, cinematography, looks and all other departments, and the actor-director’s dedication is clearly visible on screen.
What does not work in Raayan
Like any other film, Raayan is not without flaws. While the film is technically brilliant, it lags behind when it comes to the story. Raayan’s story follows the same betrayal and revenge arc, something that has been seen time and again in Indian cinema. While the scripting is quite good, there is only so much that dialogues can do to help when the story itself is something that has been seen before.
While the film’s first half is brilliantly placed, and ends with an extraordinary interval block, the film’s second half seems to hit the brakes. The film slows down drastically, while the events taking place feel quite predictable. However, that being said, the film does have its fair share of goosebumps-generating moments. The film, while edited brilliantly, still could have afforded to be 5-10 minutes shorter.
Performances in Raayan
Going hand in hand with the technical brilliance of Raayan are the wonderful performances by all the cast members. While Dhanush as Kathavaraayan steals the show, Sundeep Kishan’s Muthuvel Raayan, Kalidas Jayaram’s Manickam, Dushara Vijayan’s Durga, Selvaraghavan’s Sekar, SJ Suryah’s Sethu, and all other characters portray their roles exceptionally.
Further, all throughout the film, the characters have been given and equated with animalistic qualities like those of lions and wolves. The actors have done a fantastic job imbibing these characteristics and portraying them on screen.
Final Verdict for Raayan
Despite the obvious flaws, Raayan deserves to be watched in theaters, especially for the beautiful visuals, and camerawork, as well as the beautiful music by AR Rahman. Dhanush as the director brings a flair of the Tamil gangster action flicks from the late 2000s, but with a modern twist, which works out wonderfully on the silver screen. Everything said Raayan passes off as a good one-time-watch, guaranteeing an emotional yet fun ride that one can catch with their friends.
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