• Source: Raayan

Raayan is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Dhanush, in his second directorial venture. It is produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. The film stars Dhanush in the titular role, alongside Dushara Vijayan, Sundeep Kishan, Kalidas Jayaram, S. J. Suryah, Selvaraghavan, Prakash Raj, and Aparna Balamurali in lead roles while, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Saravanan, Dileepan and Divya Pillai in supporting roles. In the film, a fast-food truck owner in North Chennai struggles to protect his family when they inadvertently get muddled in a war between two rival gangs resulting in unforeseen circumstances.
The film was officially announced in January 2023 under the tentative title D50, as it is Dhanush's 50th film as a leading actor, and the official title was announced in February 2024. Principal photography commenced in July 2023 at East Coast Road in Chennai along with Adhitya Ram Studios, where most of the filming took place at, which was again followed by another schedule held in Karaikudi, and wrapped by mid-December. The film has music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography handled by Om Prakash and editing by Prasanna GK.
Raayan was initially scheduled to release on 13 June 2024, but was later postponed. The film got released worldwide on 26 July 2024, coinciding with the week of Dhanush's birthday. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with praise for its music, cinematography, direction and the performances of the cast, while the plot and post-interval portions received criticism. The film earned over ₹160 crore worldwide, becoming a commercial success at the box office and emerged as the fifth highest-grossing Tamil film of 2024 and the highest-grossing A-rated Tamil film of all-time.




Plot


Kathavaraayan "Raayan", a food-truck owner in North Chennai, lives with his siblings consisting of two younger brothers Muthuvelraayan "Muthu" and Manickavelraayan "Manickam" and younger sister Durga, whom Raayan dotes on. Raayan has been taking care of his siblings since childhood as their parents never returned. Manickam is a college student, while Muthu is a hot-headed alcoholic who is in love with Meghalai. Sekhar is a father-like figure who, fully aware of Raayan's background, supports Raayan and his family as a good family friend.
Durai and Sethuraman "Sethu" are rival gangsters in the area who have a feud with each other after Durai killed Sethu's father. R. Sargunam, a recently transferred police commissioner, wants to create a conflict between Sethu and Durai and kill them both in an encounter. One day, Sargunam sends a group of hired goons to ambush an attack on Sethu, who kills all of them. Sethu, believing that Durai was responsible for the recent attack on him, sends his men to kill Durai's son who was at the local bar. Muthu, who was also present at the bar, gets into a broil with Durai's son and his gang. Seeing this, Sethu's gang infiltrate their altercation with weapons and amidst the chaos kills Durai's son. Muthu ends up being the sole survivor. While most people believe that Sethu killed Durai's son, Durai finds out about Muthu and tells Raayan to hand over Muthu within 24 hours. However, Raayan, together with Muthu, and Manickam kill Durai and his gang.
Sethu, who is confused about Durai's death, finds out about Raayan and his brothers' involvement in his death and calls Raayan for a meeting. He requests Raayan to join his side and promises him and his family protection from the police, but Raayan refuses the request. Sethu begins to threaten Raayan, who in-turn, also begins to threaten Sethu indirectly without outrightly stating that he was indeed the killer. Sethu then tries to assassinate Raayan by sending his goons, but one remaining henchman fled back to Sethu with the news that he witnessed Raayan singlehandedly killing all his henchmen there. Around that time, Raayan was planning his sister Durga's wedding with a government employee and agrees to shoulder the responsibility of the event expense around ₹5 lakhs and dowry leaving him in dire need of money.At the groom's family's request for dowry, Raayan agrees to handover his profitable mobile hotel, and all their bank savings to the groom's family.
Fearing for all their future, Raayan plans to kill Sethu the night before Durga’s marriage by entering Sethu's second wife, Annam's, house in an ambush attack. However, Raayan finds Durga tied up in that house and realises it as a trap set by Sethu, and fights Sethu's henchmen who ambushed him. However, on escaping, Durga is abducted and sexually assaulted by Sethu's henchman, Guru. Meanwhile, it was revealed that both Muthu and Manickam, who weren't able to land a job quickly, were now working for Sethu to supplement their household expenses; at realising their target was their own brother, they panic and stab him. After escaping from Guru, Durga runs back to where she left Raayan and saves him by admitting in a nearby clinic.
Sethu's gang tries to kill Raayan in the clinic, but is saved by Durga and Sekhar. The trio escape to an isolated house far from the city and there Durga learns about Muthu and Manickam's betrayal. Meanwhile, Muthu and Manickam continue to work for Sethu, while Meghalai gives birth to Muthu's child. After almost a year, Raayan recovers from his injuries and kidnaps Annam; he asks Sethu to send Guru to him in place of Annam as he was behind Durga's rape. Sethu accepts and Guru gets killed by Durga.
Manickam wanted to amend things with Raayan and Durga, therefore he requests Sekhar to arrange a meeting with Raayan and plead for mercy. Overhearing the conversation, Sethu tricks Manickam and uses this opportunity to make Sekhar reveal Raayan's whereabouts, but he refuses and is killed by Sethu. His body was hung for public display, and brings out Raayan and Durga from their hideout. Sargunam uses this chance to arrange a meeting with Raayan and Sethu for a public compromise, however, Sargunam was secretly planning on killing them all in a common location. However, Sargunam changes his plan as there were many goons of Sethu with him, and falls back to plan B, that is a deal that he made with Raayan; in exchange for eradicating Sethu and his gang, Raayan and Durga were promised freedom, safety and new identity. During Bhogi celebrations, Durga stabs and kills Manickam for betraying Raayan. In the ensuing fight, Raayan kills Sethu and his gang brutally, and finally, but hesitantly, killing Muthu.
The next day, Sargunam waits for Raayan with the money, but his real intention was to kill him so that Sargunam's deals would not be leaked. However, Raayan was clever enough to figure out his plan and not arrive at their meeting spot. Meghalai gives her child away to Raayan and Durga citing that she does not a want a child of his bloodline. Raayan and Durga pack their belongings and leave Chennai for a peaceful life.




Cast






Production






= Development

=
On 29 December 2017, Dhanush announced that for his second directorial after Pa Paandi (2017), he would collaborate with Hema Rukmani and Murali Ramasamy, headers of Thenandal Studio Limited. He further stated that he would play the lead and the production would begin the following year. To which, on 7 September 2018, a muhurat puja was held in Chennai. Touted to be a bilingual film released in Tamil and Telugu-languages, it would feature Nagarjuna, Aditi Rao Hydari, S. J. Suryah, R. Sarathkumar and Srikanth. Music composer Sean Roldan, cinematographer Om Prakash and editor Prasanna GK were brought on board. Rukmani stated "It's an impressive story and is Dhanush's dream project that he's had in mind for a long time. He's very passionate about the film and when we heard the script, we understood why", during the press launch of the venture.
Tentatively titled DD2, the principal photography began the same month. In early March 2019, reporters claimed that the venture was shelved, citing that the venture was only shot in few bits, mainly due to the cast's schedule. Later, it was reported that it was not shelved, but was instead set on hold, as Dhanush was busy filming for Asuran (2019). In June 2020, Dhanush's elder brother, Selvaraghavan, was reported to have been approached by the actor to direct a part of venture, as Dhanush was busy with his current commitments. The project was later put on stall. However, it was reported that it would begin after the COVID-19 pandemic ends, which was later proved to be false. Following two years, in 2023, it was reported that instead of reviving the script, Dhanush would reportedly write a new story, to be funded by Kalanithi Maran of Sun Pictures. The production house publicly announced the project on 18 January, and was tentatively titled as D50. The film's official title, Raayan, was revealed on 19 February 2024.




= Casting

=
Dhanush would sport a tonsured head and stubble with a thick handlebar mustache for his character. Sundeep Kishan was cast in an important role, collaborating with Dhanush again after they previously had collaborated for Captain Miller (2024). Kalidas Jayaram was confirmed to play an important role, replacing Vishnu Vishal who was initially approached for the role but had to decline due to busy schedules, including his film with director Ram Kumar and Aishwarya Rajinikanth's Lal Salaam (2024). Dushara Vijayan also joined the film in an important role, whilst S. J. Suryah was also cast in an important role. He was also cast in the initial second directorial of Dhanush, which was later shelved.
Selvaraghavan, Prakash Raj, Aparna Balamurali, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and Saravanan would play prominent roles. Varalaxmi would collaborate with Dhanush again after Maari 2 (2018) with this film. All of their inclusion were confirmed by the production house in late-February 2024. Dhanush had approached musician Deva to play the antagonist in the film as he wanted someone speaking the North Chennai dialect, however, Deva declined the role.




= Filming

=

Principal photography began with an inaugural puja ceremony on 5 July 2023 at East Coast Road in Chennai with the presence of the film's cast and crew. Filming also went on there for a while, before they moved to a massive set with around 500 houses at Adithya Ram Studios in ECR,Chennai, where the rest of the schedule continued to be shot at. The schedule featured scenes involving Suryah and Sundeep. The second schedule commenced in mid-November in Karaikudi, which went on for a week. The team had invested ₹30 crore (US$3.6 million) in the sets of the backdrop of Royapuram, where the events in the film would mostly take place at. The filming reached near ending, as stated by Dhanush, on 1 October. On 14 December, Dhanush tweeted that the shooting had wrapped.




= Post-production

=
Sumesh Gopal and Anish Dayanandan are the visual effects supervisors, under Digital Bricks Entertainment Pvt Ltd., the film's principal visual effects studio. The dubbing began works in late February 2024, and was completed by early March. Rahman concluded the re-recording session on 28 May, which was confirmed by Dhanush through his social media pages.




Music



The music and background score is composed by A. R. Rahman, in his fourth collaboration with Dhanush after Raanjhanaa (2013), Maryan (2013), and Atrangi Re (2021). The first single, "Adangaatha Asuran", was released on 9 May 2024, the second single "Water Packet" on 24 May, and the third single, "Raayan Rumble" released on 5 July. The audio launch was held on 6 July 2024 at Sri Sai Ram Engineering College in Chennai, releasing the album.




Marketing


The film's first look poster was released on 19 February 2024, revealing the film's title. From 21 February to 27 February, a first look character poster of Suryah, Selvaraghavan, Prakash Raj, Dushara, Aparna, Varalaxmi and Saravanan were released by the production house. The film's trailer was released on 16 July.




Release






= Theatrical

=
Raayan was initially scheduled to release on 13 June 2024 in theaters, but was postponed due to reasons unknown. It was released worldwide on 26 July 2024, two days prior to Dhanush's birthday, in theatres. Apart from its original Tamil language, dubbed versions in the Telugu and Hindi languages were also released. The release date was also initially scheduled to release on 11 April, but was postponed to May due to general elections. This was followed by it postponing again to June due to unspecified reasons. The film received an A-certificate from the CBFC, being the first film of Dhanush receiving so after Vada Chennai (2018). The movie received this certification on accounts of brutal violence, blood, and language. The film also received a 15 by the BBFC for strong violence and bloody images.




= Distribution

=
Sun Pictures will release the film in Tamil Nadu themselves through Red Giant Movies. Asian Suresh Entertainment acquired the distribution rights of the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for ₹5 crore. Sree Gokulam Movies bought the distribution rights for Kerala, and AV Media Counsultancy did so for Karnataka. Ayngaran International acquired the overseas distribution rights. Home Screen Entertainment acquired the distribution rights for Singapore and the Middle East, DMY Creations for Malaysia, Prime Media for North America, and MKS Talkies for Australia and New Zealand.



Pre-sale records

Pre-bookings started in the UAE and Bahrain on 18 July 2024, a week before the film's release. Over the next few days, pre-bookings also began for the overseas countries, including Dubai and Norway. Pre-bookings started in Chennai and Hyderabad on 20 July 2024. It started also in Sri Lanka the same day.




= Home media

=
The satellite rights were acquired by Sun TV, while the film was premiered on Amazon Prime Video from 23 August 2024 in Tamil, alongside Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada languages.




Reception






= Box office

=
Raayan grossed ₹23.75 crore (US$2.8 million) worldwide on its opening day, which was the second highest first day gross for a Tamil film, with over ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million) from India and behind Indian 2. The film surpassed Karnan (2021) to become the biggest opening for one of Dhanush's film. It grossed an estimated ₹75.42 crore (US$9.0 million) worldwide on its opening weekend of three days. The film earned ₹122.75 crore (US$15 million) in ten days and ₹126.75 crore (US$15 million) in next two days days. By the third weekend film total collection stands at ₹109.50 crore (US$13 million) in India and ₹149 crore (US$18 million) worldwide. Raayan grossed an estimated revenue of ₹160 crore (US$19 million) in its final run.




= Critical response

=
Raayan received mixed to positive reviews from the critics.
Rohit Panikker of Times Now gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Raayan is a bloodbath that even the most ardent fan of such blood and gore would find exhausting, especially since it falls in the line of a long spate of recent releases that are similarly-conceived." Divya Nair of Rediff gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Raayan is an interesting one-time watch written for the masses with a little meat here and there for the critics to bite on."
M Suganth of The Times of India gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Raayan has a raw and rage-filled setting, and is populated by characters who are rugged, violent, deceptive and also vulnerable." S. Devasankar of Pinkvilla gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Dhanush as the director brings a flair of the Tamil gangster action flicks from the late 2000s, but with a modern twist, which works out wonderfully on the silver screen. Everything said Raayan passes off as a good one-time-watch, guaranteeing an emotional yet fun ride that one can catch with their friends."
Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Dhanush, the actor and director, stands tall in a film powered by AR Rahman’s brilliant music, and top-notch performances only to fall just short of realising its potential." Anusha Sundar of OTTplay gave 3/5 stars and wrote "[...] Yes, the writing is bogged down by certain uncertainty and convenience, which does not let many characters to get developed, and in fact get eliminated before they are got to known. But Raayan is also a valiant effort of Dhanush’s that lets many departments shine through, and plays out a canvas for a experimentation in commercial cinema."
Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Dhanush's 50th film is a simple revenge story. The interval block shows streaks of brilliance of his directorial skills. However, as a writer, 'Raayan' lacks emotional depth. For the revenge angle to work, emotions matter." B. V. S. Prakash of Deccan Chronicle gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Dhanush turned director for this film and relied on gore and violence revolving around a wafer-thin plot. This is truly disappointing since some of his films like Asuran and Karnan had boasted of bold themes in the past."
Latha Srinivasan of Hindustan Times wrote "Dhanush’s Raayan totally packs a punch and is a must-watch for its captivating performances and unexpected story twists. It’s a stellar 50th career film for Dhanush." Bhuvanesh Chandar of The Hindu wrote "In his sophomore directorial, Dhanush attempts to turn an ordinary story into something more with a well-written setting and measured storytelling, but falls disappointingly short."




Notes






References






External links


Raayan at IMDb

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