Ariyavan Review

Ariyavan -  Instils courage in women to fight against sexual exploitation

Mithran R Jawahar is on a career high after his recent film 'Thiruchitrambalam' starring Dhanush and Nithya Menon hit box office gold.   'Ariyavan' was directed by him before that and is now hitting the screens on March 3rd.  Will this attempt to create awareness about sexual exploitation and violence on women find its takers remains to be seen.

Duraipandi (Daniel Balaji) leads a gang of young men who befriend women of different classes under the guise of love and get intimate with them.  Later they blackmail them with sex tapes shot with hidden cameras and force them into prostitution.   A young Kabbadi player Jeeva (Ishaun) is in love with Nethra  (Prranali) and when her roommate Jessie becomes a victim of the gang he gets into a fight with her predator and cuts off his hand. The pervert happens to be the younger brother of Duraipandi who unleashes his gang to not only finish off Jeeva but also the other women who are under his control.  How Jeeva saves  himself and the twenty odd women is what 'Ariyavan' is all about. 

Ishaan is tall and well built and easily convinces the audience that he is a Kabaddi player.  He has excelled in the fight scenes leaving no doubt in the audience's minds that he can bash up the more than half a dozen goons with his martial arts skills.  Prranali as the female lead has also impressed with her acting and in the song sequences.  Daniel Balaji has performed his villain character within the template as there are no challenges in his characterization.  Sathyan appears on screen after a long time but unfortunately his comedy does not click.   Rama as the hero's mother, Super Good Subramani as his uncle and Nishma Chengappa as Jessie have done neat jobs.  

What works best in 'Ariyavan' is its core message that women need not despair if a video comes out as it's not their shame but the one who made it without their knowledge.  The idea of bringing all the victims together in the fight against the perverted antagonist is interesting.  

On the downside the subject has been treated in a matter of fact manner and there is no depth in underlining its messages as well.  The climax seems abrupt and not much effort has been put up in extracting affecting performances from the cast or from the technical crew.

The technical aspects including James Vasanthan's music after a long gap are just okayish.  MGP Mass Media Private Limited has bankrolled the project focussing on the message.  Mithran R Jawahar is credited as the director of the film.  

Verdict : Go for it for the much needed female centric message