Review of the film “Rathnam”: An excessively violent family drama with a convoluted script

Perhaps no other genre in the world can get away with graphic violence and yet be classified as family entertainment, save Indian mass masala. Even our most violent commercial film is surpassed by Ramadan, despite the fact that we are used to and have even come to like violence in these kinds of movies. Rathnam opens with a trio of bandits toppling a bus and robbing its semiconscious victims of cash and jewelry.

 

These crooks have neither tolerance nor compassion; they will even chop off fingers that have rings on them, slit their ears to take off earrings, and even go so far as to decapitate them to take off gold chains. But because that’s the extravagant bar we come to anticipate by then, you almost expect it to occur.

There are several scenes of mutilation, which seems to be Rathnam’s obsession. If this had been a pattern or the villains’ (or heroes’) defining technique, it may have been exciting, but instead, we see severed limbs almost as often as we see Yogi Babu, a supporting character. Strangely, although the moments with the comic were undoubtedly unflattering, at least the chopped limbs caused you to wince, indicating that you felt something. The picture loses almost all of the fun and energy it had before with each effort at humor. It doesn’t help that these comedic situations are positioned awkwardly either. For example, we see a scene that makes us cringe—it shows a sexual assault—and then Yogi Babu appears, rushing onto the screen to show off his comic antics.

Even yet, Rathnam retains some of Hari’s signature inventiveness, although in small doses. In a scene toward the conclusion of the movie, it is sufficiently shown how the quality of the script and its details suffers deformity at the hands of negligent staging. Rathnam (Vishal) quickly treats himself to some home-cooked meal prepared by Malliga’s (Priya Bhavani Shankar) mother before racing out to confront the villain for a last fight. Malliga makes a sincere plea for Rathnam to eat at their home. Rathnam, who was abandoned as a child and lost his mother, is ultimately welcomed into a family at Malliga’s home.

This sequence beautifully expresses Rathnam’s need for maternal affection. This also indicates to you that he is prepared to lose the last fight and give it his all. But before this brilliant display of character nuance, there’s a dull exchange of words between Malliga and Rathnam. This, along with the action’s staging and tempo, gives the “last supper” scenario an almost comical appearance. Such tonal infractions are many.

The movie has all of Hari’s trademark speed, yet there isn’t any suspense in any of the sequences. For instance, the villain’s thugs surround Rathnam and Malliga at a crucial juncture after a protracted chase scene. In every action-adventure film, the main protagonists ultimately find themselves in a precarious scenario. The plot must then provide a stunning, compelling, and original means for the protagonist to escape the danger before the viewer realizes how they may escape.

But in Rathnam, while we’re all waiting to see how Rathnam gets out of there, all he has to do is pick up a gun and kill them all. Rathnam always steps in to rescue Malliga and end the incident before you even feel tense, even though she nearly gives off the impression of being an old-fashioned damsel. Devi Sri Prasad, the composer, ensures that a scene’s tone is disjointed. Melodramatic music reminiscent of a TV serial plays over a horrific crime or a suspenseful action sequence.

The reasoning behind this is admirable as it is clear that the composer does not wish to provide you with cliched “action music” or to glorify violence in the situations. But in the end, the overly dramatic music only serves to distance you from the action.

The problem with Rathnam is abundance. Plot lines, violence, music, repetitive action, and several expositions that add nothing to the overall narrative are all over the top. The movie has a somewhat interesting subject, but it falters due to an overly complicated narrative. Vishal’s limited range is also a hindrance. There are hints of what it may have been—a flawless Hari movie. But all Rathnam manages to do in Hari’s finest flicks is magnify anything we choose to ignore.