Raththam (transl. Blood) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language crime thriller film written and directed by C. S. Amudhan.[1] The film stars Vijay Antony, Mahima Nambiar, Nandita Swetha and Remya Nambeesan.[2]
| Raththam | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | C. S. Amudhan |
| Written by | C. S. Amudhan |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Gopi Amarnath |
| Edited by | T. S. Suresh |
| Music by | Kannan Narayanan |
Production company | Infiniti Film Ventures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 149 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Tamil |
The film was released on 6 October 2023, and received mixed reviews from critics.[3]
Plot
editThe plot revolves around Ranjith Kumar, an investigative journalist who returns to his job after his close friend Chezhiyan is killed in a hate crime. As Ranjith investigates the murder, he uncovers a larger network behind Chezhiyan's death and several other targeted crimes. The film delves into the complexities of hate crimes, a criminal network operating behind the scenes, data mining social media, and grooming potential killers through psychological profiles. Ranjith's pursuit to track down the mastermind behind these sinister operations forms the core of the movie. The narrative is filled with intriguing elements like hate crimes, a criminal network, and a battle of wits between the protagonist and antagonist, creating tension and suspense throughout the storyline. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the film presents a thought-provoking exploration of journalism, crime, and the manipulative power of data in a thrilling and engaging manner.
Cast
edit- Vijay Antony as Ranjith Kumar (Kumar)
- Mahima Nambiar as Sangeetha/Annapoorani Sebastian,
- Nandita Swetha as Madhumitha (Madhu)
- Remya Nambeesan as Keerthi, Chezhiyan’s fiancee
- Nizhalgal Ravi as Rathna Pandian (Pandian), Chezhiyan’s father
- John Mahendran as Inspector Vimal Raj
- Riya Manoj as Arumpavai, Ranjith’s daughter
- Boys Rajan as Police Inspector
- Uday Mahesh as DIG K. Jayaraj
- Jagan Krishnan as Arivukarasu (Arivu)
- Meesha Ghoshal as Bharathi/Nisha
- "Bigil" Siva as Rajendran, the instigator
- Ameya Mathew as Annapoorani, Kumar's wife
- Kalairani as Raniamma
- O. A. K. Sundar as Ajay Menon, Keerthi’s uncle
- Gaayathri Krishnan as Aadhirai
- Aravinth Sundar as Chezhiyan, Kumar’s best friend
- Telephone Raja as security guard
- Arjun Chidambaram as Shyam Sunder
- Aditya Kathir as Prabha
- Bharani Elangovan as the receptionist
Production
editIn April 2021, C. S. Amudhan announced that he was collaborating with Vijay Antony on a thriller film.[4] The production of the film started in November 2021.[5][6] On 23 January 2022, the title of the film was revealed as Raththam, and the first look poster was also released on the same day.[7] The film was produced by Kamal Bohra, G. Dhananjayan, Pradeep B and Pankaj Bohra under the banner Infiniti Film Ventures.[8] The production house has already previously collaborated with Vijay Antony on the films Kodiyil Oruvan and Kolai. The film was shot in Chennai, Kolkata, Spain and Thailand.[9][10] The filming wrapped up around mid-2022.[11][12] The cinematography of the film was by Gopi Amarnath, and the editing was handled by T. S. Suresh.[13]
Music
editThe music for the film was composed by Kannan Narayanan[14] in his fourth collaboration with director C. S. Amudhan after the films Thamizh Padam, Rendavathu Padam, and Tamizh Padam 2.
| Raththam | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |||||
| Released | 2023 | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 17:24 | ||||
| Language | Tamil | ||||
| Label | Saregama Tamil | ||||
| Producer | Kannan Narayanan | ||||
| Kannan Narayanan chronology | |||||
| |||||
| |||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Raththam Title Track" | Yugabharathi | Vijay Prakash | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Oru Naal" | Arivu | Vijay Antony, Arivu | 4:00 |
| 3. | "Aaruyire" | Chandru | Ravi G | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Nee Ennai Mannipaya" | Uma Devi | Harish Raghavendra | 5:08 |
| Total length: | 17:24 | |||
Release
editThe film was initially scheduled to release on 28 September 2023, but was postponed. Later, it was released on 6 October 2023.[15]
Home media
editThe post-theatrical streaming rights to the film have been acquired by Amazon Prime Video.[16] The film was scheduled to premiere on Amazon Prime Video from 3 November 2023.[needs update]
Reception
editJanani K of India Today gave it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Raththam could have been a good crime thriller had there been some great moments that would wow the audience."[17] M. Suganth of The Times of India gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "A crime drama with good ideas and bland execution."[18]
Sudhir Srinivasan of The New Indian Express gave the film a mixed review and noted that "It’s a film that’s refreshing in its presentation of journalism and its faith in the transformative powers of good journalism."[19] Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu gave the film a mixed review and noted that "CS Amudhan's thriller, starring Vijay Antony, suffers from a bland treatment despite having an intriguing plot."[20]
Bharathy Singaravel of The News Minute gave it 3 out of 5 stars noting it was "an ode to the spirit of good journalism."[21] Thinkal Menon of OTTplay gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Raththam is a pretty straightforward investigative drama that pivots around hate crimes in the country. There is a bit of everything in here — though it doesn’t work for the most part."[22]
References
edit- ^ "Raththam teaser: Venkat Prabhu, Vetrimaaran, Pa Ranjith unite for Vijay Antony starrer". The Indian Express. 6 December 2022. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam To Irugapatru, 4 Tamil Movies Set To Hit Theatres This Friday". News18. 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam Review - An interesting core but the film remains passable at best!". www.moviecrow.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "CS Amudhan teams up with Vijay Antony for thriller". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's next film commences with puja". www.daijiworld.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony wraps up first shooting schedule for his next untitled movie". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's crime thriller with CS Amudhan titled Ratham". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Trailer of Raththam is out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's Ratham shooting wrapped up with Thailand schedule". The Times of India. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's Ratham shooting in Kolkata wrapped; team heads to Spain next". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Shooting of CS Amudhan-Vijay Antony's Ratham wrapped up". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's Ratham completes the shooting schedule in India". The Times of India. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam: Details of Vijay Antony Starrer". Movie Crow. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "'Oru Naal' song from Ratham out". Cinema Express. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Vijay Antony's Raththam release postponed". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam: THIS leading OTT platform bags the digital rights of Vijay Antony's crime drama". www.ottplay.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam Review: Vijay Antony's film fails to make the most of semi-decent ideas". India Today. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam Movie Review : A crime drama with good ideas and bland execution". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "'Raththam' movie review: This journo procedural has its moments". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ Rajendran, Gopinath (6 October 2023). "'Raththam' movie review: Insipid writing leaves this thriller with some novel ideas in cold blood". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Ratham review: Vijay Antony-CS Amudhan film is an ode to the spirit of good journalism". The News Minute. 6 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Raththam Review: Investigative Drama Called For A Better Actor Than Vijay Antony". www.ottplay.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.