Ranam Aram Thavarel : An engaging psychological thriller that deals boldy with a taboo subject
'Ranam Aram Thavarel directed by Sheriff, and starring Vaibhav, Nandita Swetha, Tanya Hope, Saras Menon, Suresh Chakraborty, Jeeva Subramanian, Pravina and Kicha Ravi has been released. The film belongs to the investigative thriller genre. Lets us take a look at whether the film has satisfied the genre lovers and the general audiences.
'Ranam' opens with three boxes of burnt legs, arms, and a torso found at different parts of Chennai. Siva (Vaibhav), a crime story writer and facial reconstruction artist is called in to aid the investigation. It turns out that the body parts found in his efforts belong to different people. Meanwhile, the inspector investigating the case also goes missing. The new officer in charge is (Indhuja) Tanya Hope and she and Siva work together to find the murderers. Every time the duo seems to get close to the criminals, a series of shocking incidents take place and throw them on a different track. Do they finally nab the real culprits? What is the reason for all these murders? The answers unravel in the climax.
Vaibav, known for his humour-laced acting in his body of work has chosen the serious path in his milestone 25th film. His character has different shades starting as a filmmaker who then takes to sketching criminals (facial reconstruction) for the police and a crime story writer who also takes up interest in investigating the perplexing case. Him having his own medical condition adds to the intrigue. Though it's an important film in his career Vaibav also has taken the backseat as there are several scenes that do not have him at all and others are given as much if not even more importance. Tanya Hope comes across effectively as the intense cop who is rigid in the pursuit of who is behind the crimes and Nandita Shwetha as Kalki the doting mother makes an impact even though she appears only in the second half. Saras Menon has very little screen time but it is her character that helps tie some of the loose ends. The supporting cast have all done a neat job with Suresh Chakravarthy giving yet another solid performance as the constable.
What works best in 'Ranam Aram Thavarel' is that it gives ample scope to the points of views of all three main characters Siva, Kalki and Indhuja and since there are two suspects the interest is kept alive and the reveal of the third comes as a genuine surprise. Right from the start the very question of why the serial killer kept the body parts near the police stations and what is their intent plays in the mind. The taboo psychological disorder that forms the crux is something rarely attempted in Tamil cinema and that's what makes the film different from the recent ones of the same genre. There are several red herrings thrown at the viewer such as the organs missing from dead bodies which though don't add up serve their purpose of keeping one guessing. The nonlinear screenplay has its inconsistencies but culminates to a fairly satisfying end.
On the downside 'Ranam Aram Thavarel' does lose its way in the second half and some of the characterizations are pretty weak. Similarly, the deduction by Siva seems too convenient and logic takes a beating at important junctures. One gets the feeling that the film had the potential to have become a much much better one if the script had gone through another draft to wean out the gaping minuses.
Arrol Correli's music adds to the thrills while Balaji K. Raja's cinematography and Munis's editing help in hiding most of the flaws. Mithun Mithra Productions has bankrolled the film with apt production values. Director Sharief deserves praise for not only handling the taboo subject sensitively but for also striving to give the audience a different experience from the run-on-the-mill. He emerges a winner in pinning the blame as much on the disease as on the criminal which is true in most crimes in the society.
Verdict: Go for this engaging investigative psychological thriller that boldly deals with a taboo subject
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