Raavan Film Review

Raavan begins with a silent montage. It works. As it does in the last sequence as well. It would have worked marvellously as a silent film. For the shrill trite dialogue jars. The film is a visual treat and that’s to be expected given Mani Ratnam ’s films always are.

What one expects and doesn’t get is a story and character motivations. Worse, the actions contradict the dialogue repeatedly like Beera claiming the woman he’s kidnapped does not fear death, when a few reels earlier she admitted she didn’t wish to die. Floating down as opposed to jumping off a hill takes away the impact of the heroine’s action. The performances are atrocious because the scenes give no scope for nuance. From the start one knows the film maker will go all out to paint Beera as golden heart and Dev the cop as blackheart. Constant mindless shrieking by hunter and hunted adds to the cacophony.

Thankfully, the choreography be it the action or the way sequences are fused together in the dance montage takes one’s breath away. Priyamani’s turn as Beera’s sister is a wow performance. Along with her groom-to-be they make for the only natural performances in the film. Govinda shines but could have been better if the monkey allusions were done away with.

Aishwarya Rai redeems the film in the end game. And kudos for Sabyasachi who manages to make the clothes match the natural beauty of the heroine and landscape in the end. Especially, the end. You can physically feel the blood flecking the screen. The awed silence in the theatre had to be heard to be believed. Go watch it for that sequence alone.