Raayan (2024) - A Blend of Style and Substance!

Raayan is a solid film that entertains and impresses on many levels. For his second directorial effort, Dhanush definitely nailed down what he wants to showcase. He has a good grasp of his target audience while also catering to modern sensibilities.

While the storyline isn’t groundbreaking, it’s the treatment of the script that makes it engaging. Dhanush has a knack for gangster films and it shows – he’s taken some valuable lessons from his past work. Instead of following a straightforward narrative, he plays with the structure, adding a layer of mystique that keeps you guessing (and it worked on me!).

A standout element for me was casting a plus-sized woman as one of the female leads. It’s a refreshing break from the traditional male gaze, and I really appreciated that touch. I also loved how he acknowledged that the story’s heart is introduced through his brother, not himself. It was refreshing to see him grow into the film and let his brother shine initially.

A.R. Rahman’s music was a killer and marked a great return to form. The “Adangatha Asuran” song, in particular, was extremely chilling and added a powerful atmosphere to the film.

On the downside, balancing his target audience led to some overly obvious symbolism. A revenge scene late in the film felt heavy-handed, and I would’ve preferred a more subtle approach, allowing the audience to interpret the symbolism themselves. It took away some of the impact for me.

Scenes felt rushed, and with that, certain character motivations could have been developed better. Amidst certain important scenes, one crucial betrayal’s reasoning felt underdeveloped and even illogical. It could have been more deeply rooted from the beginning to resonate better.

Despite these minor issues, the cinematography, pacing, action, acting worked well. Raayan is an engaging film that showcases Dhanush’s growing prowess as a director. While it definitely could be better, there is much to appreciate in this action thriller.