‘Raavan Kottam’ movie review: Shantanu shines in an otherwise mediocre affair

A still from ‘Ravana Kottam’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

They often say that a new filmmaker has a lifetime to come up with his first script, but just a short lag before he comes up with the next one. That seems to be the only explanation for the sophomore efforts of many directors rarely matching the style and substance displayed with their debut film. Despite a decade gap since its debut with Madha means Kuttam (of mine), vikram sugumaran latest movie Ravana KottamGambhir starring Shantanu, suffers from this second curse.

similar to MYK, Ravana Kottam also focuses on family troubles and communal tension, but unlike his debut film, Vikram expands the canvas by bringing in huge stakes. Film sheds light on Prosopis juliflora (Seema Karuvela Maram)Its imminent impact in Ramanathapuram district and the more dangerous politics behind it. Bose (Prabhu) is a village headman and the most prominent voice of ‘Melatheru’ and he is the protector of the people along with his best friend Chitravel (Ilavarasu), the leader of ‘Keezhtheru’. Thanks to their friendship, the men from their families Senguttuvan (Shanthanu) and Madhimaran (Sanjay Saravanan) respectively are also mates. The problem comes in the form of politicians who, in an attempt to plant their party’s flag in the village, adopt the age-old ‘divide and rule’ approach and create a rift between the two groups.

A still from ‘Ravana Kottam’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

on the surface, Ravana Kottam It is a story of love and friendship and symbolizes the expression of harmony of our country in the mantra of ‘Unity in Diversity’. But a little digging into this will reveal caste pride clearly displayed. How did Vikram despite choosing not to use any caste surname to denote his characters of minepower from them Melteru Its grip on the downtrodden community of the village is clearly visible. Despite being a critical voice, Chitravel keeps hinting to his people why Bose is their “ruler”. He says that it was Bose’s forefathers who had given the land to his group that they now have. When the younger generation in their group recounts how Chitravel’s forefathers worked hard to make the land fertile while they Melteru Taken advantage of, the conversation ended abruptly. While the film attempts to maintain a sense of balance between the two factions MelteruTo which our hero also relates, people become bigots by their actions.

Read also: Actor Shantanu on ‘Ravana Kottam’ and turning a new leaf in cinema

But deep-rooted inequality, such as seema karuvela It’s the least of the bushes it tries to talk about of Ravana Kottam Problem. The film suffers from shoddy writing. While the face-off between the men led by Sengu and Madhi will definitely remind the audience of films like Thevar MaganThe love triangle between him and Indira (Andhi) will bring fleeting glimpses Kadhal Desam and victory shah jahan, When a tertiary character inspires ideas in Madhi’s mind that causes him to fall for Indira and hate Sengu, it just dawns on you how one-dimensional the characters are. Speaking of which, did I mention Indira’s mother who, having lived in the city for a few years, is always seen holding a portable fan and speaking broken English? While the film’s attempts at humor do not elicit laughter, it is the unintentionally funny moments during the serious scenes that had the audience laughing out loud.

Shantanu’s acting, along with music director Justin Prabhakaran’s compositions, seem to have some very little saving graces. Ravana Kottam, Actor’s tryst in the world of OTT like Pava Kadhaigal And kasada thapara, giving him the opportunity to explore roles with more depth. it continues with his character in Ravana Kottam Which gives him a good space to explore a range of emotions which he pulls off quite well. But the film doesn’t offer enough meat. There is a scene where Sengu apologizes to Indira for kissing her without her consent. In another, we get a monologue about how the bush destroys water sources, but those in power won’t get rid of it because of how it can be a gold mine for corporate companies like methane and hydrocarbons. These few steps towards a well-thought-out story are ruined by the rest of the film which fails to focus on any one of the many issues it comes with. overall, Ravana Kottam It’s a moderate effort that, despite having a brilliant cast, falls short of its potential due to a shallow plot and disappointing writing. Shantanu deserved more and so did we.