Raayan Movie Review: Dhanush Heroic Movie 2024
After his family is killed, a young man trains to avenge their murders. Seeking those responsible, his quest leads him through the criminal underworld.
Release date: July 26, 2024 (India)
Director: Dhanush
Music composed by: A. R. Rahman
Box office: est. ₹27.40 crore
Budget: ₹100 crore
Cinematography: Om Prakash
Raayan Movie Review
Dhanush, in his second directorial effort, brilliantly creates a world true to the genre. He achieves an emotional connection, which soon gets discarded.
Raayan Story
Kathava Raayan (Dhanush) is the eldest of three brothers and a sister. He treasures his siblings’ survival more than anything else. Not knowing the fate of their parents, Raayan settles in the suburbs of Chennai. He runs a fast-food eatery, becoming the family’s breadwinner.
With fiercely affectionate Durga running the house, layabout Muthuvel romances Mekhala (Aparna Balamurali), and student Manickavel studies. Raayan’s life turns upside down after deceit, debacle, and devilry drag him into bloodshed.
Raayan Review
At a crucial juncture, Durga and Raayan share a glass of milk. They have just finished off a man who played dirty. The scene’s elevation comes from their nonchalance, even at the toughest times.
In another instance, Manickavel complains to Raayan about college rivals beating him up. Raayan sows with a needle and cloth. Dhanush’s character first appears when he turns around, tossing contents inside the wok.
Dhanush outdoes himself as an actor with his directing abilities. Sundeep’s character navigates the story with enough depth. When Dhanush prioritizes his role as the director, the film shines. However, this scope remains limited to only a few characters.
In Raayan, Dhanush builds a world with each character acting as a pawn. Pawns switch sides, and relationships sour, but the story falters when characters’ intentions become unclear.
For example, Raayan possesses enough strength to finish off a village. However, when he enters the world of thugs, the film loses its emotional connection.
Certain characters lack depth. Rival gangs Durai (Saravanan) and Sethuraman (SJ Suryah), a policeman (Prakash Raj), and Sethuraman’s first wife (Varalaxmi Sarathkumar) have limited scope. These details serve as pit stops to build to the final conflict. Further exploration could have deepened the characters and their motives.
Dhanush’s direction and acting save Raayan from its faltering writing. AR Rahman’s background score, Om Prakash’s cinematography, and Jacki’s production design elevate the film. Chennai almost becomes a character in Raayan. The film becomes a canvas for Rahman, who contributes as much as a writer and actor would to a script.
Aparna Balamurali as Mekhala, who loves Muthuvel despite his flaws, and Varalaxmi get their bits. Their limited screen presence, especially the latter’s, could have been expanded.
Raayan Verdict
As a director, Dhanush makes an honest attempt. He gives ample attention to the characters in Raayan. He sheds stardom and heroic stunts that Tamil cinema often overuses. The writing suffers from uncertainty and convenience. This prevents many characters from developing fully and eliminates some before they become known. Nonetheless, Raayan stands as a valiant effort from Dhanush, showcasing various departments’ talents and experimenting within commercial cinema.