Raghavan Telugu Movie

Sep 1, 2007 By Kishore

Well, when in the movie the director is an accomplished one, the lead actor almost a veteran, the villain a dynamo, and the script a well researched one, what would you expect: nothing but the sheer thrill of novel cinematic experience. And when creativity is amalgamated with modernity you get avant garde cinema. Raghavan is one such movie, which pushes the frontiers of moviemaking a bit further.

Sensible and logical storytelling by Gautham Menon, realistic acting by Kamal Hasan, and absorbing performance by Daniel Balaji makes Raghavan a compelling crime thriller that no movie lover can afford to miss. Each and every scene of Raghavan seems to have been planned and created meticulously. Nothing comes from the wild imagination of the director as it happens in most movies these days. What you see is what has happened or could happen somewhere sometime, almost.

Serial killers were always the subjects of Hollywood movies while the corrupt political leaders, businessmen, or under-world dons were our favorite subjects of villainy. By making a serial killer the subject the director of Raghavan takes the concept of villainy to a new level.

Kamal Hasan has always been associated with movies having sensible themes. His movies always have logic among other things. So does Raghavan.

And Kamal Hasan is an actor par excellence. Perhaps he is the only actor to have acted in the maximum variety of roles. From a drunkard dance master in Sagar Sangamam to a retarded man in Swathimuthyam he has donned many roles with panache. No other actor comes to mind that has done so many different characters with such finesse.

In Raghavan, Kamal Hasan is a cop. He has acted in such a way that you feel you are watching a reality show where a cop is trying to pin down a serial killer. The overall acting department in the movie scores high points with amazing rendering from Daniel Balaji as a deranged serial killer. Prakash Raj and Jyothika, the brilliant actors that they are, know exactly what's expected of them and deliver just that, nothing more and nothing less. Even Lev Gorn, an outsider, gels well with the script and the cast.

Here is a brief recap of the story:

Kamal Hasan is entrusted with a case of the missing daughter of his mentor and senior Prakash Raj. The girl is kidnapped, raped, and killed. This happens in India. Soon after losing their daughter, Prakash Raj and his wife shift base to New York. A few days later they too are murdered. And then Kamal Hasan flies to New York pursuing the case. He sees a connection between the murders that lead to more such gory murders and two unhinged personalities.

Dubbing takes away nothing from the movie Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu and Raghavan will remain one of the best movies of the year. Agreed that the movie has violence, but given the nature of the movie it's expected. Do serial killers go about their jobs with flower in their hands instead of pickaxes?