Rajathandhiram - Solid Heist Flick that Doesn't Take Your Intelligence for Granted

Movie: Raajathandhiram
Director: AG Amid 
Cast: Veera, Darbuka Siva, Regina Cassandra 
Cinematography: SR Kadhir
Background Score: Sandeep Chowta

Rajathandhiram comes backed up by big names such as Fox Star Studios and Goutham Vasudev Menon, so the general expectation is that it ought to be good. Also making his comeback is Veera Bahu who played a controversial psychopath murderer in Goutham Menon's 'Nadunisi Naaygal' makes a comeback. 

Arjun (Veera), Austin (Darbuka Siva) and Deva (Ajai Prasath) are small time crooks, indulging in intelligently planned petty crimes. By chance, they happen to meet up Michelle (Regina Cassandra), whose father had to commit suicide due to mounting debts after being cheated by a financier Dharma (Aadukalam Naren). Even after many years, Michelle is still attempting to pay off the debts. When Arjun finds out that his next heist is to rob from the same people who had cheated Michelle, he jumps straight into the plan even though it is riskier than any other heist they have done before. Whether the crooks succeeded in their attempt makes for a joyful adventure.

In fact this movie can be called a distant cousin of  'Soodhu Kavvum'. The story is about a group of small time con men trying to make it big in a bank robbery. The concept may sound very similar to 'Soodhu Kavvum', in fact there is even 'Kaasu.. Panam..' song from the movie playing in the background in one of the scenes. But the similarities end there. This movie has a strong moral compass (unlike SK) and tells you that all sins have a price and the price must be paid, in a rather light hearted manner. In fact, much part of Rajathandhiram moves in a brisk pace because the movie, though is tense and suspenseful at times, but never takes itself too seriously.

There are some wonderful suspenseful stretches, like the scene where Arjun and co try to rob a bag full of cash. While in most Tamil movies, the hero would effortlessly cheat the other guy and run away with the bag, things turn awfully messy and the crooks have to improvise on the go. This is where the direction, the clever script and screenplay stand out and make you want to applaud.

There is unbelievable amount of levity brought to the movie, thanks to the timing and sarcasm of Dharbuka Shiva. There are tens of memorable dialogues that he effortlessly mouths that after a point the audience seem to be laughing for everything that came from his mouth. Great new talent! The next most impressive performer of the movie is Pattiyal Sekar as Kanchi Azhagappan, who is the main antagonist, equally brilliant as the hero and matches him move to move in the game of cat and mouse (or valai-eli-pori, as Veera remarks).

Regina Cassandra as Michelle does a neat job of the little time that she has to come on screen, looks beauiful and does justice to her role. Aadukalam Naren as Dharma and Ilavarasu as Madhavan Iyer do a neat job of their respective roles.

There is only one song in the movie, a romantic duet between Arjun and Michelle, which has been handled in the most tasteful way that you would see a tamil movie romantic song handled in recent times. There is no foreign location, no fast dance moves, but just interesting and sweet performances by the lead actors that make the song interesting. That alone is a testament of how smart, sound and innovative bunch of technicians are those involved in this movie.

With the ever growing bunch of nonsense comedy flicks around us, Rajathandhiram is one movie that dares to provide quality entertainment that doesn't take your intelligence for granted. Go watch it before some so-called-big-movies forces it out of the theatres.