Raavana Kottam review: Shanthnu's rural drama engages in parts, but falters in delivering a gripping outing

2.5/5

Story: People belonging to two caste groups in a village lead happy lives despite the severe water scarcity they have been facing for a long time. Sensing that it is the genuine friendship between the two caste leaders which keep people there united, a shrewd politician manages to sow seeds of division among them with the help of a manipulative man. He plans a huge project in the village and plans to destroy its natural resources. Can the poor inhabitants withstand the treacherous plans?   

Review: Vikam Sugumaran's Raavana Kottam is a sincere attempt in narrating a village tale which touches upon a couple of pertinent issues. The film boasts of dedicated performances from a few actors and effectively conveys how crooked politicians with vested interests divide people for their vested interests.

However, the movie appears as a mish-mash of a few other films which we have come across in recent years. The makers have succeeded to an extent in delivering the message which they intended to say, but the lack of novelty and predictability factor play spoilsport in making it a wholesome entertainer.

Enathi village in Ramanathapuram faces acute water scarcity and residents there, who belong to two communities, are united because of the friendship that exists between Chandrabose (Prabhu) and Chitravelan (Ilavarasu), leaders of the respective caste groups.   

They ensure that the villagers live in peace and that their area is free of politicians who use them for votes. Sengutuvan (Shanthnu) and Madhivaanan (Sanjay Saravanan), youngsters from the two communities, too, play a vital role in bringing villagers under one umbrella despite trivial differences among people.  

However, two politicians (PL Thenappan and Arul Doss), who plan a huge corporate project in the village, create a ruckus among the inhabitants there to execute their ideas. Will they be able to play with the emotions of the villagers? 

The plot looks decent on paper and has scope to develop it into an entertaining screenplay that offers various elements. Vetrivel Mahendran's cinematography stands out in the movie, the visuals hook us from the beginning and transport us to the village where the drama unfolds.

Justin Prabhakaran's background score elevates emotions at crucial junctures and is one of the appealing aspects of the movie. Shanthnu's performance is another highlight of Raavana Kottam. He is aided by convincing portrayals by Prabhu, Sanjay and Aruldoss among others. 

Having said that, some of the characters are under-written though they come up with notable performances. The manner in which crooked politicians manipulating people for their selfish needs are portrayed appears outdated and offers nothing new. The core idea, however, is relevant, and we feel for people who are mere puppets at the hand of the privileged.

Raavana Kottam reminds us of how fragile people in our society are and how many of us could be taken for a ride by those who are manipulative and dangerous. 

Verdict: The film is relevant in many ways and has a few intriguing sequences, but the overall packaging that lacks freshness plays spoilsport.

Raavana Kottam is streaming on Amazon Prime and aha Tamil.