‘Ryan’ is a special milestone in Dhanush’s career. It is his 50th film as an actor and his second as a director (after ‘Pa Paandi’). For his 50th film, he donned the hat of a director, actor and writer. Has he achieved another milestone as a filmmaker with ‘Ryan’? Let’s find out!

Kathavarayan aka Ryan has to take care of his two brothers and younger sister after their parents disappear for two days. This is where Ryan’s struggle begins. His aim is to survive in this cruel world. He is not afraid of anything, not even death. Ryan along with his siblings escapes from grave danger from their village and reaches North Madras, where they find a home.

Years later, Muthu (Sundeep Kishan) is a drunken, short-tempered vagabond of the area, while Manikkam (Kalidas Jayaram) is the college-going younger brother. Durga (a fiery Dushara Vijayan) is the darling of the house, who loves her elder brother, Ryan, unconditionally. He is like a father figure and is wary of his limitations and the consequences of his anger. He warns Muthu not to get caught in the sujal (whirlpool in English). But, Muthu’s drunken nature lands the Ryan family in trouble and takes many lives one after the other.

Dhanush is a fine actor, that is known to all. With his directorial debut ‘Pa Paandi’, he proved himself with a family drama. In ‘Raayan’, this family drama turns into a gripping revenge thriller that highlights the gangster culture. Like Vetri Maaran’s ‘Asuran’, we know that Raayan is a dangerous man, but he doesn’t let his anger get the better of him or let the beast inside him come out. For him, living a peaceful life is paramount, and he is willing to go to any lengths to achieve it.

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‘Raayan’ is another case of two separate halves. While the first half is about establishing Raayan and his siblings, the second half is all about revenge and only revenge. The first half also introduces gangsters Sethu (SJ Suryah), Durai (Saravanan) and a police officer (Prakash Raj) and how their interpersonal relationships influence the story.

Dhanush’s 50th film is a simple revenge story. The interval block shows glimpses of his directorial skills. However, as a writer, ‘Raayan’ lacks emotional depth. Revenge requires emotions. Despite having many twists and turns, the pay-off moments do not hit the mark as intended. The second half has many unresolved questions that are dealt with superficially. For instance, you never get a solid explanation as to why Manickam takes such a big decision in the second half. This is where the film falls short of being a perfect revenge thriller.

Dhanush has done everything right with his acting. Similarly, Kalidas and Sandeep Kishan have also played strong roles and have lived up to their characters. Dushara Vijayan has got an exciting role and has performed brilliantly. The performances of Prakash Raj, Selvaraghavan and SJ Suryah make things interesting.

‘Ryan’ is the latest in a list of films that normalise police encounter killings and taking the illegal route by challenging the system to end gangster culture.

Dhanush’s 50th film is visually stunning. The silhouette shots, interval blocks and the climax fight look spectacular, thanks to Om Prakash’s cinematography. If Dhanush is one of the pillars of ‘Raayan’, AR Rahman is another pillar that carries the film forward. His background score and songs are perfect for it.

‘Ryan’ is a thriller. Yes, almost.