Raja Rani - Return Of Romance

Bharath Vijayakumar

It is not often that the film of a debutant director raises curiosity unless it stars a well-known hero. But, Raja Rani has been in the news for quite sometime now. Thanks to the innovative marketing strategies employed. Backed by A.R.Murugadoss does  this flick from debutant Atlee live up to the expectations it has managed to build around it? Read on to find..

What is it about?

Love is depicted in almost all movies that release throughout the year. But it has been a while since we had a full-blown romantic movie. It was very clear what the movie was about when the caption 'There is life/love after love failure' was seen in the teasers. Raja Rani could also be seen as Atlee's version of Mani Rathnam's classic Mouna Ragam. It is a film that celebrates the universal feeling of love but most importantly it wants to reiterate the fact that instead of being stuck up in the gloom caused by love failure it makes sense to look for brightness which will ultimately emerge if you are willing to wait.

Performances:

For any romantic movie to click, the lead pair become critically important. This movie actually has two pairs and three stories in between them. Arya looks dashing and his female fans are sure to have a field day when they watch him on screen. He seems to have no qualms about sharing screen space with others and Raja Rani is the latest addition to the multistarrers that he has been a part of. Nayanthara has probably chosen the best movie for a comeback and has done really well. Her acting in the emotional sequences deserves mention. You realize that it does make a lot of difference when the actress actually understands the native language of the film.

Jai as the naive and gullible youngster is an absolute delight. The young actor shines throughout the first half in a role that shares a few similarities to the one he played in Engeyum Eppodhum. Nazriya Nazim the latest heartthrob in town is adequate. Sathyaraj as the uber cool father of Nayanthara is a revelation. He played the heroine's father in Nanban and more recently in Varuthapadatha Vaalibar Sangam. But Raja Rani is another facet of this multidimensional actor and you cannot help but marvel at the man's versatility. Santhanam is his usual self and Sathyan too makes his presence felt.

Music and Camera:

BGM is so crucial in a film that deals with the intricacies of relationships and G.V.Prakash has done complete justice to the job at hand. There are a few really impactful scenes and GVP's score does stir up your emotions. The songs are trendy and so is the picturisation. The film has a glossy look to it thanks to debutant George. C. Williams. The talks that he has been roped in as the cameraman for the A.R.Murugadoss-Vijay project is a sure sign that he is someone to watch out for in the future.

 
Direction:

Atlee has certainly made a confident debut and the film works really well in many fronts. To make the audience laugh and feel emotional alternatively between the scenes is quite a task and this debutant seems to have done exactly that. Opposites attract is an age old theory and that is precisely the reason that the Jai - Nayanthara track works so well in the film. The Arya-Nazriya track does pale in comparison and a stronger emotional connect with this pair from the audience would have definitely raised Raja Rani a few notches higher.

The obsession with alcohol continues in this film too. The statutory warning is almost permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen. Referring to stout and dark people as chimpanzees is not humour and hope filmmakers realize that they should have a sense of social responsibility.

Bottomline: 

Raja Rani is a breezy film that strikes the right chord at many a place. 

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