Santhakumar’s most recent project, Rasavathi, shares a name with alchemists who are described as individuals who try to transform base metals into gold or create the elixir of life or make panacea. A Siddha doctor representing himself as Sadhasiva Pandian (played by Arjun Das) in this case is more of the third definition; he makes medicines for different illnesses. However, it becomes clear that there is something deeper than just being the main character and transforming oneself when we get further into the story.
Rasavathi presents us with a compelling premise filled with unique characters and solid performances but fails to deliver due to pacing problems and writing inconsistencies making it an average movie.
Arjun Das has got one of those faces where you would not be surprised if he cut someone’s throat or punched them in the nose. And so here he does indulge in quite a bit of violence but his offbeat character is what makes ‘Rasavathi’ interesting. His portrayal of Sadhasiva Pandian is sincere and real; he plays around with all these complexities that come along with being such person. Sadhasivas are patient people as they tend warn before using force whenever necessary while healing everything around them including animals too.His only aim seems to be heal all living things if possible otherwise protect them until their death comes naturally.Arjuns’ emotional outburst happens towards end which drags viewer deep into our own selves because at that point we have connected so much emotionally.This honest performance by Arjun Das who fits perfectly well into shoes of Sadhasiva Pandian became my favorite part about this film.
Though watching Arjun Das play different roles was definitely refreshing ,there is no denying that pace was also issue here especially when establishing main conflict. The slow burning nature of this film which takes time introducing characters properly through long speeches given by Sadhasiva becomes testing for some viewers’ patience. This kind of movement might feel like riding slow bike up kodaikanal hills during first half when you just want some speed. In one scene Surya underestimates Sadhasiva’s academic side though he does have great knowledge on Siddha medicine but unfortunately movie stalls at that point too long.
In Rasavathi, Santhakumar wants to explore conventional hero-villain dynamics unlike in his previous works. In fact from beginning itself we can see that they are different; good and evil. However, director repeatedly underscores this polarity between these two people through parallel actions and conversations between them as well. Saving dying birds by Sadha were so sympathetic compared to burning rats alive done by Parasuraj who is clearly wicked. On the other hand, both say similar things to Surya only that she takes it negatively when coming out of Parasuraj’s mouth .While trying to add more meat onto characterisation some things remain static about these folks since everything about Sadhasiva should be seen as black while all life must represent light according him. Also even though there were attempts made towards giving complexity none showed any signs working because they stayed within typical limits thereby limiting full understanding.
Sujith Sankar plays Parasuraj, a sociopathic and sadistic character. The characterization of Sankar goes beyond what we usually see in scripts or books by providing glimpses into the haunted upbringing that Parasuraj had which consisted of an abusive home environment caused directly because his parents were dysfunctional. These aspects give layers to such personalities thus giving us a view into their twisted minds too but still some parts remain puzzling about them like why would someone do something wrong without feeling sorry for it even though this same mistake is what brought about their suffering?
In addition, other characters like GM Sundar and Ramya Subramanian appear as if they were underused with minor roles meant only to serve as devices through which events in the story are moved forward. For example, Sadha’s conversation about movie reviews seems forced after her scene with comedic relief character played by Ramya who motivates that dialogue while on another hand GM Sundar delivers impactful lines on righteousness towards end when it would have been better had those words come earlier so as to leave more lasting impression considering his limited screen time. It feels as if these misplaced persons contribute further to an already overlong dullness left behind by this picture.
‘Rasavathi’ also has its share of strengths such as background score and cinematography which act like two strong pillars supporting any film worth watching for long periods at once; Thaman’s scores especially those meant for scenes featuring Parasuraj himself send shivers down one’s spine thanks largely due to how fittingly dark they sound given what kind of person he is portrayed here while “Thai Thai” song composed entirely through montages possesses catchiness capable enough making it stick in people’s minds well after watching movie has ended plus Saravanan Ilavarasu does excellent job with camera work transporting us right into most beautiful parts found around Kodaikanal using clever framing techniques coupled up lighting effects showing depth within various places like where Parasuraj’s evil nature reflects off his shadow as he looks down upon others happiness.
By the final act everything speeds up and we find ourselves on the edge of our seats with curiosity about why these two characters hate each other so much being brought into light but even though all loose ends are tied by end still getting there feels like too much work. Ultimately, the film doesn’t live up to its title’s promise of providing an experience that would change one’s life forever because there were just too many points at which it fell short or dragged on for longer than necessary.
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