Ratsasan, Tamil movie

The 'demon' is in the details

A huge fan of 'Mundasupatti' and its director Ramkumar, I had to catch up with Ratsasan. 

Ratsasan could probably qualify as one of the most well researched investigative thrillers in Indian Cinema, stimulating the grey cells and nudging you to the the edge of your seats, at the same time, and keeping you there till the very end. 

The first half is genuinely scary, there is a definite element of tension and it was fascinating to be confronted with a series of crimes without almost any clue.

There is  a conscious plot point which Indianises  this genre of movies. For me this sequence made, the already heavy viewing heavier but it had one unintended bonus. Munish Kanth's cameo

When I saw, Mudasupatti, Munish Kanth reminded me of Kali N Ratnam, essaying the role of an idiot reminding Kali N Ratnam's role in Sabapathy. This time around in a few minutes he gives an astounding performance which pales a  great actor, who essays a similar sequence, in a great movie a few decades ago. This particular sequence is a rare treat and Tamil Cinema will do well to use this great actor in times to come.

Last time in Mudasupatti, Vishnu Vishal looked like a close cousin of Akshay Kumar, radiantly smiling away. Vishnu transforms himself into this intense role, effortlessly, the pleasantness remains a constant companion. His underlying pleasantness, adds so much stability and balance to his  character. His  eyes carry a certain intensity which brings back a few images of his classic Neer Paravai.

The flashback sequence was jarring. It was unnecessarily loud. I could not approve of the specially loud  BGM in those sequences. This segment is not compatible with the rest of the film Could have been made more stylishly and imbued with a poignant touch.

This 2 hour 50 minute movie seems to have been pruned by about 16-18 minutes. It may be a good idea to edit the Vishnu Vishal and Amala Paul Song and few more sequences to make this a 2 hour 25 minute watch. The movie could be perfect.

There are two communities in India who are above the law of the land, the Auto Driver and the censor board. We can't do much about them, Can we?

A subject matter as this, treated authentically, deserves an Adult Certificate. At the beginning of the film the censor board is ridiculed about the process of certification. The Censor Board remains true to the spirit of the scene, a board full of jokers, remaining a mere cosmetic entity that serves no purpose; 

Catch up with this top notch thriller. It is as good as they come anywhere in the world.

Must see for the adult audiences