Rathasaatchi - Intense political rebel drama with strong ideology.
Cinema has always been a tool to convey the creator's thoughts and ideologies to the masses. Many ideology-driven films have opened up strong political debates. Kollywood isn't an exception to this as the political perspective of our industry has vastly changed with the entry of stunning filmmakers. 'Rathasaatchi' is the new addition to the political films of Tamil cinema, made by a young & fresh team. The film is an adaptation of renowned writer Jeyamohan's short story 'Kaithigal'. Aha Tamil has directly released this movie. Let's see if it is good.
To put it simply, the story of Rathasaatchi is a battle between communism and authoritarianism. Appu (Kanna Ravi), an educated youngster with constructive ideology, is a part of an anti-government rebel group. Meanwhile, the government forms a special team under SP Devasagayam (Kalyan master) and ASP Lingam (Arjun Ram). While Appu's friend and fellow comrade Iqbal (Harishkumar) suffers a tragic lockup death in the special team's hunting, Appu decides to avenge his friend's murder out of anger. The cops go behind him after his revenge. Also, it subtly discusses Naxalism with the psychological conflicts of Appu's character. Will the righteous protagonist overcome these conflicts?
Kanna Ravi, who played notable roles in 'Kaithi', 'Mandela' and 'Kuruthi Aattam', gave an astonishing performance as Appu. It's a dream debut for him as a lead actor. Kanna Ravi's acting is the cherry on top of a strong character arc. Casting is one of the biggest strengths of Rathasaatchi. Harish Kumar, Elango Kumaravel, Kalyan master, Arjun Ram, Charles Vinoth, Aaru Bala and all the other actors have done their roles perfectly.
The best thing about Rathasaatchi is the neatly written characters. Not only the lead role but every character in the film had a strong sketch. The dialogues and story arcs were very sharp for these solid characters. On the other hand, the intense and dramatic sequences in the movie are perfectly balanced. Also, the film had a clear stand on the ideologies that were discussed. The crisp runtime is also a positive as well. The setups and payoffs worked out well. The last dialogue by Kanna Ravi's character and the impactful climax will surely disturb the watchers.
On the downside, we could feel the lag in the screenplay apart from the outstanding opening sequence and final act. The story becomes generic and too preachy in the middle. Javed Riaz’s songs and background score are scintillating. The cinematographer has done a decent job and the editing is fine. Overall, Rathasaatchi is a worth-watching political drama that has impressive characters and solid writing.
Verdict: Go for this hard-hitting period drama that will leave an impact.
