RAVANAN
Renowned filmmaker Mani Ratnam's latest flick Ravanan attempts to establish that good and evil coexist within everyone by taking a relook at mythical character Ravanan. But the script and dialogues of the director and Suhasini are insufficient to capture the attention of the viewers.
Veera (Vikram) and his brother (Prabhu) live in the forests among tribals. Veera's word is law and no one dares to question him. He punishes the guilty mercilessly but is kind towards the needy. So, the poor tribals adore him. But the police force led by Dev (Prithviraj) and accompanied by a forest guard (Karthick) are out to nab him. Veera has kidnapped Dev's wife Ragini (Aishwarya Rai). He did it because he believes that Dev's men were responsible for his younger sister Vennila's (Priyamani) rape and subsequent suicide.
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Meanwhile, in Veera's confinement, Ragini begins to understand that Veera is not all that cruel as made out to be. He is humane at heart. After keeping her for fourteen days in captivity, Veera lets her free. And he disappears.
But the manhunt continues. Back home, Ragini is fed up and restless because of Dev's unfounded questions and suspicion. She goes in search of Veera.
Vikram as Veera is superb. Aishwarya Rai is impressive. Prabhu, Karthick and Prithviraj have done justice to their roles.
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The highpoint of the movie is its technical perfection. Cameraman Santhosh Sivan has captured nature in all its glory — the dense forests with minute details, the incessant rain, waterfall. The use of natural light and angular shots are a visual treat. The choreographer too deserves credit for the dance sequences. Sreekar Prasad is the editor of the movie.
A.R. Rahman's music, except for the title number, remains ordinary. ‘Ravanan' is produced under the banner of Madras Talkies and Big B.