When Dhanush made his directorial debut in Power Paandi, we all thought that direction was something he was taking up just to explore another department. But in his second directorial Raayan, which is also his 50th film as an actor, Dhanush proves that he dead serious about direction, and pulls off a spectacular experience packed with good writing, directional highs, a visually immersive experience that is worth a watch on the big screen.
Raayan is the story of an elder brother and his struggles to keep his three siblings happy, and how he travels across boundaries and keeps them intact. However, some surprises are thrown at him later on which change his ideals and his emotions towards them. The film is excellent in its first half where it steadily builds up the intensity of the film with its narrative, where there is lots to enjoy in terms of the visual aesthetic that Dhanush is able to bring forward, along with the unique setup that he brings.
Dhanush has done his best in showcasing the trouble it takes to steer clear of the underworld, and what happens when things go awry. In the second half, the film becomes more of a snakes-and-ladder game that does not move smoothly ahead, but keeps us pinned with surprises and theatre moments at regular intervals.
Apart from Dhanush, Sundeep Kishen is one who has performed superbly with a strong role to his name. The actor shines in many sequences including the bar scene, Water Packet song, the interval block and more. Aparna Balamurali and Dushara also get their moments in the film, while SJ Suryah is at his active best with Kaalidas being decent.
The film is bolstered by AR Rahman’s firing songs and BGM, which have taken their time to work but look great onscreen. The cinematography by Om Prakash is fantastic as well, as many frames included the red-lit climax are awesome.
Raayan could have been an epic if it had got two more solid moments in the second half, for its aesthetic, setting, making and the technicalities are all in the top drawer. Nevertheless, we get a film that is worth our time on the big screens.