‘Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum’ movie review: A soulless and aimless village drama that has a narrowed view on politics and media

Director Arisil Moorthy makes a mess and a drag out of a simple premise, lacking both focus and interest

Had I caught Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum (RaRa) on Amazon Prime Video instead of a show arranged for the press, I’m positively sure that I wouldn’t have gone past the 10-minute mark. It is that kind of a film where the director’s (in)competence in handling the subject at hand, is consistently evident right from the start and I say this in the least snob-ish manner. Consider the opening sequence and you will understand why I’m pledging my case.

Kunnimuthu (Mithun Manickam, struggles sometimes but mostly a fine debut) has come to a police station to register a complaint about his missing children. The cop, unaware that children in RaRa’s context are Kunnimuthu’s cattle, asks him to wait for his turn. And the irony plays out quite well: a few party cadres ask the cop for an update on their leader’s missing dog. We see all this from Kunnimuthu’s point of view. Observe how the director establishes Kunnimuthu’s supposed innocence: he finds a spot and sits near suspects; follows them into the prison inside the station, when a constable leads them into the cell and locks them.