Raayan is very Asuran-esque, in the sense that the head of the family lays low, and waives off all sorts of trouble because you do not want to trigger his inner, dormant beast. But what’s conflicting is that we have an external voice of Selvaraghavan or Paruthiveeran Saravanan, almost every 10 minutes puffing up Dhanush’s Maanick Baasha flashback.
The raw, dark, and gloomy 20 minute sequence in the beginning of the film is a perfect pilot that prepares you for what’s about to hit you in the next 2 hours. Raayan does an excellent job in establishing the emotional dynamics amongst the cast. The first half establishes the conflict well and is pacy but is followed by a rather slow and stretchy second half.
There are a few unnecessary scenes on infidelity to induce crass humour alone – but it’s good that neither of them were justified. Raayan will constantly remind you of the famous three dragon template – true to it, Dhanush, Kalidas and Sundeep have delivered splendid and raw performances which compliment each other really well. Kalidas has played a role quite novel to him with ease while Aparna Balamurali has been perfectly casted – a good, apt and a creative, revolting role though she’s just an auxiliary to the male characters.
The film has about 120 hero intro scenes for Dhanush and his silhouette which is quite tiring and tedious to watch. AR Rahman is a huge asset to the film with his background scores and the song Adangaatha Asuran is a peak theatrical experience.
Raayan has 5-6 win moments and it’s mostly the action sequences. The post-interval fight is unique and distinctive in an otherwise beaten-to-death storyline. What keeps the film engaging is the fresh performance of Dushara Vijayan who has given a riveting, convincing, powerful and astonishing act in this revenge story. It’s highly commendable, and appreciative to see her scoring in a Dhanush-centric film with a remarkable character arc that will stand the test of time.
Kollywood also needs to move away from the Kantara hangover – how many more climaxes are we gonna make where the hero is possessed with the spirit of a God and takes revenge over the villain?
Rating – 2.5/5
