Raangi (2023) Tamil Movie Review

M. Saravanan's Raangi features a soundscape filled with unremarkable music. The typical beats heard during action scenes, the sentimental tunes played during emotional moments, and the loud bangs that accompany suspenseful scenes all lack originality. This mediocrity also permeates the unemotional filmmaking style that resorts to simplistic tactics to achieve its goals. For instance, a police inspector is portrayed as a villain who expresses his desire to rape Thaiyal Nayagi (Trisha), a news reporter. While another officer tries to justify the remark as an expression of frustration, Raangi does not explore the complexities of the human psyche. The movie opts to manipulate the viewers' emotions and presents one-dimensional characters.

Saravanan and writer A.R. Murugadoss's efforts to create a work of fiction are amateurish, and the film relies on superficial elements such as a scene in an office where the camera moves from one computer screen to another. The POV shots in the action sequences are reminiscent of a video game and feel artificial. Abhinay Deo's Force 2 handles these shots much better. The gunfights in Raangi are lackluster, with characters mostly shooting without accuracy. The lack of skill both on and off the screen is apparent, such as the amateurish acting by the boy who gets beaten up in a café.

Although Raangi features a strong and independent female lead, the film's perspective is limited by a male-centric worldview. This narrow-minded approach is evident in the scene where Thaiyal tells a teenage girl that inner beauty is more important but also suggests she "fix" her teeth and chin. Raangi attempts to celebrate women and their beauty, but the male writers either lack progressive ideas or are delusional. Thaiyal's speeches about societal issues come across as a platform for the writers' opinions, reducing her character to a mere mouthpiece. Furthermore, the film portrays the airline industry and politics as unreliable and untrustworthy.

Raangi attempts to explore the impact of social media and the anonymity it provides. Thaiyal converses with a 17-year-old terrorist on Facebook, using her niece's account. However, the film falls short of delivering its potential due to its clumsy execution. Raangi could have been a good B-movie, but it takes itself too seriously and does not tackle its subject matter with maturity.

The only redeeming feature of Raangi is Trisha's performance. She shines in an otherwise ineffective film and carries the movie with her poise and dignity. However, her presence is the only aspect of the film that is worth watching.

Raangi is a movie that tries to be more than what it is. It wants to be a socially relevant film with a strong female lead, but it falls short on many levels. The soundscape of the movie is littered with generic music that lacks originality and fails to add anything new to the genre. The action sequences are unimpressive, and the gunfights lack the intensity required to make them engaging.

The movie's writing also suffers from mediocrity. The characters are painted with a single dimension, and their actions lack depth and complexity. The film tries to touch on societal issues like lustful men and politicians, but it only uses them to deliver additional thoughts of the writers, reducing the characters to mere talking heads.

The main character, Thaiyal, is a strong and independent female, but the brain of the film functions like that of a problematic male. Her character is inconsistent, and her actions do not align with her beliefs. For instance, she criticizes lustful men but judges a girl based on her physical appearance. Her speeches about inner beauty are contradicted by her actions, making her appear fake and insincere.

Despite the movie's shortcomings, Trisha's performance as Thaiyal is exceptional. She manages to hold the movie together and gives a strong and convincing performance. However, her performance alone is not enough to save the film from its weak writing, mediocre direction, and unimpressive action sequences.

In conclusion, Raangi is a movie that tries to be more than what it is but falls short on many levels. The movie's mediocrity is evident in its generic music, unimpressive action sequences, and weak writing. Despite Trisha's exceptional performance, the movie is not worth watching as there is nothing else on the screen that is worth the viewer's time.

Overall rating :- 4/5