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When director Hari makes a film, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of high-octane action and fight sequences throughout the movie. The director, known for films such as Samy and Singam, collaborates after a decade with actor Vishal for the third time in Rathnam. And like most Hari films, the movie is set in the interiors of Tamil Nadu, this time along the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border. (Also read: The Veil review: Elizabeth Moss headlines glossy spy thriller but this is no Killing Eve)
The tale begins in 1994 in the hills of Tirupati when three bandits attack a bus. 26 people die in the attack and the police officer investigating the crime is also murdered. Then, the story cuts to Vellore a decade later, where an orphaned 12-year-old boy saves Pannerselvan (Samuthirakani) from being killed by killing the person who attacks him instead. This young boy is Rathnam (Vishal) who grows up and becomes rowdy-turned-MLA Panneerselvan’s right hand. Panneerselvan uses Rathnam and his men, who are seen as goons in Vellore, only to help the needy and those who need justice. To encapsulate this - Rathnam says that they don’t kill just for money, they have principles and reasons even to kill someone.
As rowdy and do-gooder Rathnam goes about his ‘business’, his path suddenly crosses with nurse Mallika (Priya Bhavani Shankar), who comes from Tiruttani to write the NEET exam. She resembles his dead mother and Rathnam is baffled by this. Who is she? Suddenly an Andhra gang, led by Rayadu (Murali Sharma) comes to kill her and Rathnam is yet again the saviour. Why does this gang want her? What is the connection between Rathnam’s mother and Mallika?
If you have seen director Hari’s films, then you know there will be intense jeep chase scenes, men wielding aruvals (machetes) and violence aplenty. And there are elements of humour thrown in by some comedians. In Rathnam too, right from the get go, we see murders, accidents and fights with men flying around. The film is high on violence and action along with some humour (Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Mottai Rajendran) but unfortunately, low on logic. While the first half establishes who Rathnam is and is OK, the second half takes the story forward with Mallika and meanders all over the place. There is no coherent storyline - it’s quite thin, in fact - and some of the scenes don’t fit into the flow of the film. We are taken from one attack to another with the dull story unfolding in bits and pieces. The film is not fresh and engaging and the emotional scenes don’t connect well either.
Music director Devi Sri Prasad, aka DSP, is known for his foot-tapping numbers (especially in Telugu cinema), but in Rathnam, this is missing. The songs are below average and totally forgettable. In fact, two of the songs could have been edited out as they don’t add much value to the film’s story. Of course, DSP has aced the BGM because it needs to be loud and thunderous given the action.
As for the performances, Vishal is good while Priya Bhavani Shankar, Samuthirakani, Yogi Babu and Murali Sharma were just allright. While Vishal is known for his action films, Hari’s Rathnam is, sadly , not a major feather in this cap.
The bottom line is that Rathnam is a template masala Hari film and just old wine in an old bottle.



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