Raayan

While in this year (2024) no quality films were released.

Tamil cinema had seen numerous gangster making movies or like normal person to being a gangster.

+ve : A. R. Rahaman Music, Dhanush performance, screenplay, -ve: Dhanush doesn't where is needs to go in the second half, SJ suryah is not a right person

Like the Audience are hungry searching for Briyani,Fried Rice, Full non-veg meals finally settled for chapathi..

We have seen many movies like this Bhagavathi, Thirupathichi, Thotti jaya of charters revolving around the families. Same as that on a different angle.

One time watchable.. It would be good experience on theaters not on OTT.

Second half could've been better but Dhanush still managed to give a decent entertainer. The rivalry between SJ Surya and Dhanush felt weak, Dhanush could've definitely added some depth to the storyline between the both of them.

Good thing that they didn't get a pair for Dhanush like any other typical Tamil movie.

First half was very good, every characters had a role and everyone acted well. AR Rahman's songs and BGM was brilliant.

Interval scene was very well made kudos to Dhanush and team. Adangatha Asuran song was a visual treat.

Congratulations to Dhanush and team.

Overall a good action entertainer, great choice for a 50th movie. Hope Dhanush continues his directional career.

7/10: A must watch for Dhanush fans.

Had huge expectations from this one, didn't expect this one to drop on streaming after a mere 3 weeks of its release. Predetermined or a early release because it didn't do well in the theaters...?

Age old plot with 'twists' and overall writing that weren't convincing enough. The cops and villains were not convincing enough. That said, the good performances by everyone; decent cinematography and amazing sound design. AR Rahman's music was felt...worthy of that nametag after a long time. Hope Dhanush directs more.

The movie wasn't good but I dunno if its bad as people are making it out to be. Watchable....but I don't think you'll miss much if you skip it. Do listen to the songs though.

Action-gangster-dramas tend to follow a pattern of origins-rise-conflict-resolution, and Raayan is no different. It, in fact, has a fantastic first half. There is style oozing in every frame, and Dhanush the director takes precedence here, over the writer and performer. Some interesting-yet-familiar conflicts are established, and it gave off the feeling that the Dhanush the writer may at least have a few tricks up his sleeve in the second half (this is such an Indian movie thing - the whole first-half second-half breakdown, i.e.). But then, the writing is really loose; twists happen for the sake of twists - nothing much makes sense. The style quotient still remains on the higher side - the music (Rahman in GOAT mode), the edits (GK Prasanna), and the cinematography (Om Prakash) are top notch. I strongly believe Dhanush benefited from working with his regular collaborators, and that's visible in the film's audio-visual output.

Dushara Vijayan gets a meaty role and she even gets a fantastic set piece in the second half. However, the writing of almost every character (except the protagonist) is two-dimensional, and this includes the primary antagonist played by SJ Suryah. He brings in the eccentric mannerisms (that we didn't get to see in Indian 2), but the writing doesn't elevate him to a major threat. The metaphor of a wolf in the jungle is used to good effect, though I like to believe some Selvaraghavan interventions in the script could've helped. The brothers, played by Kalidas and Sundeep, are also well portrayed, even when their parts are badly written in the second half. Overall, it's still a fine effort from D, the director.

It all starts with anticipation. Dhanush sets the tone, the plot, the characters, and the setting with ease; he's learnt from the best. Plus, nobody needs to tell him how to act, right? Well, yeah, right, but the film doesn't only start with anticipation, it ends with it. An eager audience shuffling in, with a tired one shuffling out. Raayan definitely starts strong, with powerful cinematography, as cinematographer Om Prakash shines with a gritty and dark take on Northern Chennai. While it is a plot point that has been done before, we don't feel as though it's a copy, simply a shade of a rehashed story.

Starting with the performances, they're beyond criticism. Dushara Vijayan stars in a rural dialect, playing a character similar to hers in Saarpatta. Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas, and Aparna Balamurali - I have no qualms, the young men never fail to amaze, and as for Balamurali, she's been the brightest of sparks in every film, regardless of how dull the script can tend to be. In the case of Dhanush, playing a tight lipped role similar to that of which we've seen in Nobody, he portrays everything flawlessly. So, if they can all act well, and of course, the script isn't torturous, then we're all good right? Wrong. The lack of villainy, and the resounding dull atmosphere, almost repeated like a broken radio, leaves the audience craving more - me especially. At times, I remember checking my watch in anticipation of dinner, as frankly, that was more exciting than watching Dhanush and crew walking down an alleyway to an unimpressive A. R. Rahman score for the umpteenth time.

Perhaps over-criticism is the bane of this film's existence, but perhaps Dhanush has released something unworthy of a second-time watch - rare for his stellar filmography. While drab, it's definitely worth a watch (if, of course, we lower our expectations to the ground). To sum up, the film holds its ground, barely, but surely. It suffers from a stellar cast and crew attempting to make the most out of a lacklustre script.

I'd recommend watching this film with an open mind, then forming your negative opinions afterwards, as I have, since you'll surely have many.