A Mystery Thriller That Mostly Works

A suspenseladenplotthatgetsitscharacterisationandbackstoriesright

- Srinivasa Ramanujam

The 2015 superhit Thani Oruvan seems to have spoilt many Kollywood filmmakers. Since that film, it has become somewhat a trend to show a room full of paper clippings of cases to show an individual’s involvement in the study of crime. Raatchasan begins with a room full of such paper clippings, but the intention of its occupant, Arun (Vishnu Vishal), is not to connect the dots between the different murders or something like that. He’s researching all these cases to make a crime Âlm as authentically as possible, and selling the story idea to prospective producers, who turn it down citing various reasons. In a short while, he’s forced to forsake his tinseltown dreams and take up the job of a sub­inspector on compassionate grounds.