Raayan

Dhanush’s 50th film as an actor and his second as a director, Raayan takes us into a world of crime, action, and family dynamics. Coming out July 26, 2024, this Telugu film has had mixed reactions from patrons thanks to Dhanush’s reputation in front of, and behind, the camera. With a first-class cast and a steamy soundtrack by A. R. Rahman, Raayan is a gripping drama and slightly problematic narrative action interpretation. We’ll break down the key aspects of the film.

Plot

Dhanush plays the role of Kaartavaraayan, a man known for his staunch loyalty to his family — brothers Durga (Dushara Vijayan), Muthuvelaraayan (Sundeep Kishan) and Maanikyaraayan (Kalidas Jayaram) — and their mother Rama (Huma Qureshi). Once Muthu starts a feud with the men of a powerful local don, Dorai (Saravanan), there is only scope for danger. This is a rivalry that has reached a boiling point when a second criminal, Sethuram (SJ Suryah), enters the fray with his sights set on little other than Raayan himself. This story broaches the motives of each character, revealing who Raayan really is and why Sethuram committed a crime practised once and never again.

Performance

Dhanush is at his signature intensity and depth as Raayan, the character who is a steel meat and has layers of it. Sundeep Kishan impresses with a grey-shaded, morally ambiguous Muthuvelaraayan, his chemistry with Aparna Balamurali and Dhanush plays out to build his character. Dushara Vijayan is the standout, especially in the second half, giving Durga a strength she doesn’t possess. Sethuram, played by SJ Suryah, plays him with a sinister edge and he’s underutilized as a potential and unknown quantity as an antagonist. Through the supporting cast — Selvaraghavan, Aparna Balamurali, and Prakash Raj, among others who play solidly, albeit lesser at times — the film is carried although some roles are hardly impactful to the plot.

Direction and Screenplay

But where the screenplay falters is with the pacing; Dhanush’s direction goes full expressing dramatic moments but is restricted by the pacing of the script. The first half is built into some well-tuned tension, but the second half doesn’t offer the same level of momentum and feels stretched and uneven. This is also because the rivalry between Sethuram and Raayan does not feature a great hook, and the climactic conflict is then bereft of this sort of emotional intensity. However, though Dhanush can bring a visually strong story, it is sapped away by the pacing and underdeveloped character arcs.

Music

The one highlight of Raayan is A. R Rahman’s score, heightening the mood of the scenes and bringing depth to a couple of key ones. The music flits from the dramatic mood of the film to its action-packed, emotional moments. Although Rahman’s music occasionally overpowers quieter narrative points, it adds a compelling backdrop to the plot, and, indeed, to the atmosphere.

Theme

It’s about a family of loyalty, vengeance, and motivations we’ve never known. The film examines the kind of loyalty to family that can provoke intense, sometimes destructive, pitting of the family against the outside world. Raayan’s sacrifice, resilience, and the thin line between justice and vengeance shine through Raayan’s struggle against powerful enemies and his attempt to protect his family. While these themes sometimes get lost in the heavy action sequences, it usually works fine.

Conclusion

Raayan is not a groundbreaking movie, but it’s an average crime drama that gets pushed through strong performances from Dhanush, Sundeep Kishan, Dushara Vijayan, and SJ Suryah. Genre fans will likely snap up the film’s action scenes which are almost certainly too violent to qualify as a family affair. Despite its pacing faltering in its second half and the center of the conflict being too weak, Raayan is a high-stakes cinematic experience on iBomma for those who enjoy drama. If you’re going to watch Raayan, do so with tempered expectations, the performances in this story are great.