Rathnam is a Typical Hari story film with a hero protecting a heroine from thugs, filled with societal issues.
Gist of the Story
A young man full of fire who lives close to the Andhra border and hates those who mistreat women sets out on a dangerous quest. His mission: to protect a young lady who looked like his mother from a violent gang’s unrelenting pursuit.
| Directed by | Hari |
|---|---|
| Written by | Hari |
| Produced by | Kaarthekeyan Santhanam Alankar Pandian |
| Starring | Vishal Priya Bhavani Shankar |
| Cinematography | M. Sukumar |
| Edited by | T. S. Jay |
| Music by | Devi Sri Prasad |
| Production companies | Stone Bench Films Zee Studios Invenio Origin |
Detailed Plot
Three bandits ambush a bus in the Tirupati hills in 1994, setting the story in motion. In addition to the 26 victims of the attack, the police officer who is looking into the crime is also killed. Ten years later, the plot shifts to Vellore, where a 12-year-old orphan prevents Pannerselvan (Samuthirakani) from dying by murdering the assailant. Rathnam (Vishal), the little child in question, grows up to become the boisterous MLA Panneerselvan’s right hand. Rathnam and his men are viewed as goons in Vellore, but Panneerselvan employs them exclusively to aid the poor and those in need of justice. To put it succinctly, Rathnam claims that they have morals and motivations for killing in addition to doing it for financial gain. The rambunctious and altruistic Rathnam is going about his “business” when he unexpectedly crosses paths with nurse Mallika (Priya Bhavani Shankar), who is travelling from Tiruttani to take the NEET test. Rathnam is confused by the fact that she looks like his deceased mother. Just who is she? Rathnam saves her once more when an Andhra gang led by Rayadu (Murali Sharma) unexpectedly shows up to kill her. What makes this group desire her? What relationship exists between Mallika and Rathnam’s mother?
Artistes’ Performances
Being an authentic actor, Vishal gives honest performances to his roles. of all the action scenes of Rathnam, he excels and plays an incredible role. His acting, however, seems a little exaggerated in a few conflict sequences due to the shoddy narrative. Though it feels more genuine and superior than his last few films, Vishal nonetheless gives a strong performance in the title character. Priya Bhavani Shankar fulfils all of the film’s requirements and is a wonderful fit for her part. Though he doesn’t contribute much to the story, Samuthirakni is tidy in his part. It’s merely alright with the remaining characters.
Direction / Technical Side
Like practically every other Hari movie, this one moves at a breakneck speed and doesn’t let us take a break since the storyline is jam-packed with happenings. “Rathnam,” starring Vishal, is merely one more typical Hari story film in his extensive repertoire. The hero meets a heroine and learns that she is being pursued by several thugs. He must protect her by engaging in a variety of pursuit manoeuvres. Many of Hari’s films are modelled by this. In the majority of his films, there is a heroine who falls in love with him, but until the conclusion of the tale, the hero is reluctant to embrace her love for a variety of reasons. “Rathnam” is identical.
Especially the second portion of the movie drags and seems to be packed with action scenes that are often too long and ostentatious. The screenplay is unoriginal and prone to clichés, providing the audience with nothing in the way of surprises or new material. Hari makes an effort to discuss a number of societal issues, such as NEET, but these components come off as pushed into the story and don’t have much of an impact. Additionally mundane and unmemorable are the conversations, which also lack novelty. With regard to the background score and songs, Devi Sri Prasad gave the movie his all. Sukumar’s five-minute single-shot action sequence is almost visualised because to his clean cinematography. The film appears to be overextended, which indicates poor editing.
Verdict;
Rathnam is a typical Hari story film with a hero who must protect a heroine from thugs. The movie follows Hari’s pattern of hero reluctance to embrace her love, as seen in many of his films. However, the second half of the movie is slow and filled with a cliché screenplay and societal issues.