Rasavathi

"Rasavathi" excels with a villain plot that is nothing short of mesmerizing. The antagonist, Inspector Parasu, is a true psycho, delivering a performance that is both chilling and compelling. His unpredictable nature and twisted psyche are brilliantly brought to life, making every scene he's in a nail-biting experience. Inspector Parasu's backstory is dark and intricate, drawing the audience deeper into his twisted world with each revelation. The layers of his backstory are unveiled masterfully, making him both terrifying and oddly sympathetic. His machinations are complex and unsettling, creating a sense of dread that lingers long after the credits roll.

However, the film's momentum is significantly hindered by its hero, Dr. Sadha, a cringeworthy doctor whose storyline is weighed down by tired clichés and uninspired writing. Dr. Sadha's attempts to provide sage advice and act as a social activist come across as forced and inauthentic, making it difficult to take him seriously. The romantic subplot is predictable and lackluster, making it difficult to invest in his journey. His character lacks the depth and originality needed to stand out, especially when compared to the film's standout villain.

Overall, "Rasavathi" excels with its captivating and intense villain, Inspector Parasu, who delivers suspense and intrigue in every scene. However, the film is let down by its hero, Dr. Sadha, whose clichéd and cringeworthy storyline detracts from the overall experience.

Director did a brilliant job and the screenplay was really good. Cinematography and scenes selection from Kodaikanal was really wonderful to watch. All the movie cast did a great job throughout the movie. Even though we can predict what is gonna happen next the movie was not at all boring from start to end. Songs was not that much great but BGM was good. Never expected this movie will be this good. Usually low budget crime thriller will be boring and there won't be a good story in it but this movie proved it wrong, even a low budget crime thriller can be this good and worth to watch. Congrats to the director and whole caste. Overall movie is really good and worth the watch.

Negatives: Some scenes may come of as amateurish , Tania(Surya) flashback,

Positives: Way better movie than any other main stream Crap Kollywood is churning lately. Dialogues as usual are top notch ,typical for Shantakumar, .Hero a Deep ,philosophical character and their views on nature, society are fantastic. Both hero and villain are victims of past in some way and their paths cross resulting conflict that could have been explored more. Dialogues and visuals keep you hooked through the slow but strong pace.

Some political thoughts: Overall great movie. As some say this is not directly a political movie, taking/supporting one side of the argument , but suggests you to pick what is right for your situation.

The first & only reason to watch this movie is director santhakumar. Coming to the movie, it's a usual crime drama that was presented in the directors unique film language. The whole first half was taken for the set up and the major plot of the movie reveals in the starting of the second half. Though the first half was slow in setting up characters and story, it wasn't boring. But the second half, where the major plot is revealed engages us better. But, it gives a feel of unsatisfactory, as the first half has built a huge curiosity over the audience. Coming to performances, Sujith who plays the antagonist role delivered a stunning performance as a bad cop with childhood trauma. But his character with good potential had been underused. Sujith's parasu is the main character of the story with more depth than the hero Arjun dass's character. Arjun dass who played the role of Sadhasiva Pandian, a sidhdha doctor is the typical protagonist of santhakumar movies with some past pains and a silent nature. His performance was neither great not worse. Reshma venkat's "Chandra" was good enough but Tanya ravichandran's "Surya" was an usual Tamil cinema heroine. Technically this movie was good. Cinematography and framings were excellent in many scenes, but the grains in some sequences irritates. Thaman Background score was a pillar of the movie, but the songs weren't good. Santhakumar's writting had been led down, compared to his previous works. Though the dialogues were good, but it was too preachy in many scenes. Villain's role was written well but haven't used well. On a whole, it's a one time watchable crime drama with a slow narration & some major flaws.

Performances Shanthakumar's victory lies in not just narrating a good story, it also lies in his casting. He seems to have found the perfect actors to portray the characters of his film.

Arjun Das, who plays the lead, delivers a commanding performance that keeps you hooked. Measured -- both in his verbal responses and body language -- Arjun Das effortlessly brings to life the character of Sadhashiva Pandian and makes you realise what kind of a powerful person he is.

A beautiful character that holds within it an infinite amount of power but one which has the wisdom to hold that power in check. Full marks to both Shanthakumar for creating such a character and for Arjun Das to playing it to perfection. This is truly a delight to watch.

Tanya Ravichandran as Surya does a neat job of playing a woman who is a rebel at heart, but who also has a child-like side to her that longs to be protected and understood.

Sujith Sankar, who plays the antagonist Parasu Raj, is just magnificent. Sujith Sankar showcases the mean and menacing nature of Parasu Raj to perfection, showcasing to the audiences, the cruel demon that is within the character.

But it is Reshma Venkatesh as Chandra, who steals the thunder in this film. The actress, who appears for only a brief while in the second half, dances her way into the film and the audiences hearts. Her characterisation and her portrayal are just perfect and give the film what it exactly needs. The romantic portions between Chandra and Sadhashiva Pandian too work like magic.

Technical Aspects Saravanan Ilavarasu's visuals are just fantastic. On the one hand, the visuals he captures of scenic Kodai are a treat to your eyes. But that is not all that he has to offer. The manner in which he lights up his scenes are just too good to miss to not notice. In one particular sequence, where the focus is on Parasu Raj's character, the lighting is such that the shadow of Parasu Raj which falls on the wall behind him is much bigger than him. It somehow makes you realise that the darkness within the man is much more than what he showcases.

Thaman's music is fantastic and Shanthakumar does not bother to even have lyrics for some sequences, counting on just the music, the visuals and the performances to deliver what he wants to convey. And they deliver just that.

Verdict If you have the time and the patience for a good, meaningful story, then Rasavathi is definitely an option.