(Spoilers ahead)
The 2015 superhit Thani Oruvan seems to have spoilt many Kollywood filmmakers. Probably since that film, it has become somewhat a trend to show a room full of paper clippings of cases to show an individual’s involvement in the study of crime. Raatchasan begins with a room full of such paper clippings, but the intention of its occupant, Arun (Vishnu Vishal), is not to find the dots between the different murders or something like that. He’s researching all these cases to make a crime film as authentically as possible, and selling the story idea to many prospective producers who turn it down citing various reasons. In a short while, he’s forced to forsake his tinseltown dreams and take up the job of a sub-inspector on compassionate grounds.
- Genre: Thriller
- Cast: Vishnu Vishal, Amala Paul, Munishkanth
- Storyline: A cop sets out to solve a case involving mysterious murders all over the city
He’s at a low rank, one that sees him teaming up very often with his brother-in-law, who is also a policeman (Munishkanth, who is utilised well). But Arun is soon to jump into the thick of things — a spate of murders of schoolgirls rock the city, and he is right in the middle of them. Of course, he’ll also fall for Viji (Amala Paul) in some labourious romance sequences in the first half. We get a professor who is interested in things other than teaching, a senior cop who seems jealous of Arun’s progress in the case. There’s not much here to dig into, but director Ramkumar skillfully places clues to who we think might be behind the murders.
And then, in the second half, he turns what could have potentially ended up as your average thriller into a riveting one. Another death happens. Till now, the deaths were just “an important case” for Arun. Now, it has become personal. Director Ramkumar, who gave us Mundasupatti a few years ago, packs in a lot of punch in the second half, leading us to tales about the mystery killer who’s sure to send chills down your spine. Ghibran’s music and Sankar’s cinematography add to the mood.
There are a few logical loopholes in Raatchasan , but that is primarily because the director wants us to buy into the several coincidences in the film. That’s one of the primary issues — everything that happens mysteriously seems to have a connection with the hero. There’s little explanation to that, but if you do look beyond that, the film provides you some thrilling moments. Check out the last half hour or so that involves an intense cat-and-mouse game and a well-staged fight. Ramkumar gets most of it right, but he could have trimmed the film a little further to make it more gripping. But what he does get right is the characterisation of the mystery killer and the backstories. And that will be enough to keep you at the edge of your seat, glued to the big screen.
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